Heaven's Flames
by XTsukimiOdangoX
Summary: The newest game, Heaven's Flames, is released with one little bug... A Game Over can mean your life! Usagi is sucked into a world that man could only dream of and meets a vampire... A vampire out for blood and NOT out to help her...
1. Prologue

**Author's Notes: Hiya, Bunny here!! I'm writing another story (yeaahh!!!)!! I'll probably never finish it... ^_^; I do that a lot. Oh well, I'll try. This is going to be a long one! Please, enjoy (and review!!!)!  
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Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon (sadly enough) or Sega. Shocking, right?   
  
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**Heaven's Flames  
  
Prologue **

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            May 13, 1996  
  
            "Yo, Dad."

  
            An older man, around his mid-forties, looked up from the clutter on his desk. He grinned at his visitor. Taking off his glasses to reveal green-gray eyes, he motioned his son over.

   
            "Hey, Mamoru." The man, Chiba Hiroshi, walked out from behind his desk and pulled his son into his office.

  
            "What's up," the boy asked suspiciously. Dad was only this friendly when he wanted something. "Ya told me to come over the **second school was over. Something wrong?"**

  
            Hiroshi held out a thin plastic CD case to his son. "You're my game-tester, Mamoru. We just finished up the demo on this one. I want you to try it out."

  
            Mamoru took hold of the CD and read the title. "'Heaven's Flames'...? Cool." The young teen plopped himself down on the couch in his father's office and inserted the disk into the Sega Dreamcast before him. "Better be good," he mumbled as he flicked on the power switch. 

  
            "It will be." Hiroshi grabbed his coat and began to head out the door. "I've got a meeting; I'll be back in two hours or so. Beat the game, and tell me what you think." Mamoru's father winked. "If ya **can beat it."**

  
            Mamoru snorted sarcastically at his father's retreating back. Please, all his demos were **so easy. But, Mamoru had to admit, with his father's cushy job in the Sega business, the teen got to try out all the new games before anyone else.**

  
            Mamoru took hold of the joy stick with relaxed hands. He didn't even bother reading the controls (who does?); the game seemed so simple it was laughable. The raven-haired teen sat back and fought his way through the fantasy worlds of vampires and sprites in "Heaven's Flames." He sped through the first three worlds with such ease, he was about to fall asleep from boredom. 

  
            Mamoru blinked in surprise as a giant centaur came rushing onto the screen, sending the hero sprawling and his HP down to a dangerously low 15. A slow grin made its way over Mamoru's lips. **Finally, some actually action! **

  
            The teen gripped to controller hard, throwing his whole body into the battle. It would be hard, sure, to defeat the monster with only 15 HP, but Mamoru was fairly confident with his gaming skills that he would make it out alive.

  
            That's when the 'Game Over' sign light up the screen.

  
            Mamoru gasped; completely appalled that he hadn't seen the centaur's beating coming. But, before he got a chance to reach for the restart button, the screen began to tremble. Mamoru watched with wide eyes. Flashing colors danced along the walls from the game. The blaring background music seemed to fade as the colors became nearly blinding. A jolt of pain shot through Mamoru as the screen exploded, sending slivers of glass all over the office.

            Mamoru gagged, collapsing to the floor as a seizure swept over his whole body. 

  
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**Author's Notes: Ohhh, did ya like it?! I know, it's short. But all my chapters are. ^_^ Please ****_REVIEW!!!!_**


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Yeah, Chapter 1!! I felt a sudden urge to write this... (My head is bursting with ideas!!) It's going to be a long story, with short chapters. ^_^ Bear with me!! (P.S. *huggles Forgotten Sailor* Thank you for reviewing!!!!)  
  
****Disclaimer: Do you really have to ask?  
  
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**Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 1**

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            June 28, 2002  
  
            "Oh, hi, Usagi." Tsukino Ikuko smiled sweetly as her daughter bounded into the house. "Where's Kenji?"

  
            "Dad's in the garage!" Usagi squealed out as she zipped past her mother and up the stairs into her bedroom. 

  
            Ikuko watched her daughter fly up in the stairs in curiosity, eyeing the plastic bag in her hand. "Kenji, dear?" the violet-haired woman called. "What did she sucker you into buying **this time?"**

  
            Tsukino Kenji poked his head into the doorway of the house, thoroughly exhausted. "Some new video game." He shrugged. "What else?"

  
            "Her birthday is in **two days, Kenji!" Ikuko scolded. "You couldn't wait until then?"**

  
            "I think it's a matter of whether she would **let me wait until then," Kenji retorted before trudging back into the garage.  
  
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            Tsukino Usagi bounced on her bed excitedly as the game began to load. The logo for "Heaven's Flames" lit the screen. After months and months of being on a waiting list, the newest Dreamcast game was finally in! And not a moment to soon.**

  
            Usagi fumbled with the joystick, picking her character and naming her. The blonde sucked in a deep breath and hit "_Start."  
  
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            "Usagi, how's it going?" Kenji leaned against the doorframe of his daughter's bedroom. "Like the new game?"_

  
            "It bites," Usagi spat disappointedly. "It's **WAY too easy!" She sighed and threw the controller down, not even bothering to turn off the game. "What a bummer..."**

  
            Kenji smiled in sad sympathy for his daughter. "Maybe it'll get better," he tried encouragingly. "Play for a bit longer. Dinner will be ready soon anyway." Kenji blew his daughter a kiss and left the room.

  
            Usagi lay on her stomach on her bed and took hold of the controller again. While she was having the conversation with her father a giant centaur had stormed onto the screen. The heroine was on the ground with only 6 HP left.

  
            Usagi blinked in surprise. She was about the check her inventory for any healing fairies, but was cut short as the centaur came in for the kill.  
  
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            "Kenji, Usagi! _Dinner!!" Ikuko called up the stairs from the kitchen. "It'll get cold, hurry up!" _

  
            "Coming," Kenji replied. He strode out of his bedroom, running a hand through his graying hair. "Usagi." He knocked lightly on his daughter's door. "Time for dinner, sweetie. You can come back to the game later." Kenji cracked the door open when he got no response. "Usagi...?"

  
            Kenji gasped. Usagi lay on the floor, writhing with convulsions. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, matching the trail of blood that leaked from her nose. Gagging noises wrenched themselves from her throat. Every nerve ending, muscle, tendon, ligament, and bone was twitching in agony.

  
            "_Game Over" was the only words on the TV screen._

  
            "**IKUKO!" Kenji bellowed in horror. "Call an ambulance, she's having a seizure!!"  
  
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****Author's Notes: Oh, I love cliff hangers!! (Sensing a pattern? If not, then I don't think your working on a full tank...) I'm going to try to get chapter two up today, since I'm home sick and all. (When am I not?) Damned mono... Oh well, review!!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: I'm on a roll!! Chapter 2 is up and running!! Maybe I'll get three done by the end of the day... ^_^ Be prepared for another short chapter (that took me FOREVER to write!!)! Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN THE WHOLE GOD DAMNED WORLD!!!! MMMWWWHHHAAAAHHHAAAA!!! o_O;   
  
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****Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 2**

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            Usagi slowly cracked her eyes open. She yelped slightly at the stinging sensation that jolted under her eyelids. Bringing a hand defensively up to her face, Usagi began to sit up. The blonde buried the heels of her hands into her eye sockets and groaned. She slowly let one hand drop to the ground next to her. Threads of grass greeted her fingertips.**

  
            "What...?" Usagi blinked open her eyes in surprise. She looked down to find that she was sitting in the middle of some type of meadow. "Where the **hell...?"**

  
            The blonde whipped her head around in all directions in astonishment. Trees seemed to populate the whole area. Usagi craned her neck up as high as she could, but couldn't figure out where the trees ended and the sky began. No sunlight what-so-ever was visible, making the forest dark and damp. She could taste the moisture in the air on her tongue as she breathed in. 

  
            Usagi shuddered and shakily got to her feet. The weeds and grass around her brushed along her calves. She silently prayed nothing was poisonous. Then, laughing mentally at her stupidity, realized she had much bigger things to worry about. For example: where the hell was she?! 

  
            "H-hello...?" Usagi croaked out unsurely. "Is anyone th-there...?" Despite the humidity lingering in the air the blonde's teeth began to chatter. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead and upper lip. "C-could someone please tell me where I a-am...?"

  
            Usagi gasped at the sound of a tree branch snapping behind her. She spun around, heart skipping a beat. There, a few yards off, was a beast nearly thrice her size. Blood hammered through Usagi's veins, her eyes going impossibly wide. It had the head and torso of a man, and the body of a horse.

  
            "Ce-centaur...?" Usagi whispered almost inaudibly. 

  
            The creature didn't seem to hear Usagi, or even notice her presence. But, then it jerked his head to one side, sniffed once, and stilled. Usagi's stomach lurched. After an agonizing thirty seconds of Usagi praying the centaur didn't know she was there, it briskly turned away. The blonde let out a heavy sigh of relief. 

  
            "My God..." Usagi rested her hands over her shuddering chest. "What **is this place...?" **

  
            A blood-curdling scream broke through Usagi's thoughts. Heart nearly bursting in surprise, the blonde snapped her head to the source of the noise. Just beyond her was a thick cluster of trees, looming over each other. Usagi could just make out between two of the trees a hunched over figure. No, make that two hunched over figures. A deep wave of foreboding washed over Usagi's brain.

  
            Sucking in a deep breath, clenching her fists, and summing up all her courage, Usagi strode over the patch of trees with wobbly legs. The figures were coming into better focus now, and, even though the scream had ended not long ago, Usagi could hear raspy breathing and slurping sounds. The blonde's stomach churned. She rested her hand on the trunk of one of the trees, and peeked through a small gap in the cluster to watch more closely.

  
            A young man was bent down on one knee, holding a small child in his arms. The little girl was limp in his hold, eyes closed, neck snapped to one side. It was obvious she was dead. The man had his head buried in the crook of her broken neck, blood gushing from the sides of his mouth. 

  
            The veins in Usagi's neck constricted, nearly suffocating her. It took her three tries before she was able to swallow the rising bile in her throat. Whatever this place was, it was bringing the most horrible sensations to the surface. 

  
            The blonde desperately tried to regulate her breathing. Usagi was just about to take a step back when the young man's elf-like ears twitched. His head immediately snapped up from the child's throat, revealing two puncture wounds. The teen's eyes darted around nervously before landing on a rigid Usagi. He gazed at her in surprise for a moment, blood-stained lips slightly agape. Usagi could just barely make out two fangs in his mouth. His icy blue eyes hardened, glaring at Usagi with more scrutiny then the blonde found necessary. 

  
            The young man threw the child to the side and slowly stood. His heavy stare never wavered. He ran the back of his hand over the blood stains on his lips. Flicking a stray piece of raven-colored bang behind his elf ear, he took a step forward. 

  
            Usagi was too terrified to even comprehend what was occurring far as even to think to run. Her eyes grew wider as this... vampire... came closer to her. Usagi absentmindedly noticed that the flesh around his eyes was a deep purple, and the rest of his skin was so pale it seemed as if he was glowing. He stood a mere foot away from her now and Usagi could smell the blood that was still lingering on his tongue. 

  
            "You're new here, I imagine?" the young man spoke with a voice matching that of a boy who hadn't hit puberty yet. 

  
            Usagi blinked in surprise, unable to find her voice. She was too shocked at how his voice was an octave too high for his rugged looks to respond. Sure, he was only a inch or so taller than Usagi, which isn't much considering the blonde had just hit 5'4", but he had the build of male around the age of 17 or so. 

  
            The vampire in front of her cocked a curious eyebrow. "Lemme guess, you're wondering why my voice is so high pitched." Usagi let out a little surprised hiccup sound. A scowl made its way over the raven-haired teen's dark red lips. "Don't ask." He paused, taking a step back to look at Usagi more fully. "So, are you **new here, or ****not? I haven't seen you around."**

  
            "Wh-where's... **'here...?'" Usagi croaked out. She still had yet to find out what this place was, and right about now she wasn't so sure we wanted to.**

  
            "You don't know?" He looked at her in a mixture of surprise and of pity for her stupidity. "We're in the game," he answered matter-of-factly.

  
            Usagi's expression grew blank. "Game...?" She blinked.

  
            The young male let out an exasperated sigh. "Whatever," he retorted, brushing past the stunned blonde. "I don't have time for _dumb chicks."_

  
            The young blonde's shock slowly raged into fury. "**'DUMB CHICKS?!'" she screeched, whipping around to watch the vampire's retreating back. "HEY! Just who the ****hell do you think you are, buddy?!!"**

  
            The dark-haired teen paused mid-step, as if considering her question. He turned to her slowly, a small smile gracing his blood-red lips. "I am..." He paused, trying to find the right words. "Well, you could call me 'The Vampire Mamoru.'" He bowed slightly, in a sarcastic way.

  
            "M-mamoru...?" Usagi repeated, making sure she heard him correctly. "So, y-you really **are a vampire...?"**

  
            Mamoru nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now do you get it? This isn't the real world anymore, kid." All traces of sarcasm left his milky white face. 

  
            "No, I **don't get it!!" Usagi whined, throwing her arms in the air. "Just what the**** hell is going on?! The last thing I remember doing was playing a video game! Then I wind up waking up in... ****this place," she threw her arms around on "_this." "And I was nearly spotted by some centaur _****THING, and then find ****YOU sucking some poor little girl dry!!" Usagi sucked in a deep breath. Mamoru watched her in slight admiration that she could spew all that out in one breath. "****JUST WHERE THE HELL AM I?!!!"**

  
            Mamoru let his head drop, a small chuckle breaking past his lips. "You're loud voice is going to be the end of ya." He locked gazes with the blonde again. "It's survival of the fittest here." Mamoru gestured to the said child. "Trust me."

  
            "And where is '**_HERE?!'" Usagi seethed, loosing all patience, and fast._**

  
            The teen vampire eyed her warily. "I call it _Hell," he replied softly, letting his eyes wander for a moment. "But, it's **real name...?" Mamoru rammed his hands into his pockets. "**__Heaven's Flames."   
  
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**Author's Notes: The plot is thickening!!! *does a little jig* I have WAY too much energy for a girl with mono... ^_^ REVIEW!!!**_


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: I'm just typing away today!! Well, I've got a lot to write... ^_^ Hope ya like it!! Review, my children!!  
  
****Disclaimer: I'm poor. 'Nough said.  
  
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****Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 3**

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            "Mamoru!!"

  
            "Stop following me!!" the vamp grumbled, quickening his pace.

  
            "Y-you were joking, right?!" Usagi squealed, hastily catching up to him, to Mamoru's demise.

   
            "No," he spat, casting her a death glare. "Now would you **go away?"**

  
            "**Hell no!" she cried, completely appalled. "You're ****NOT leaving me alone here!"**

  
            "You don't even **know me!" Mamoru growled, becoming thoroughly annoyed. "I'm a ****vampire, remember, dummy?!"**

  
            Usagi stared at him blankly. "OK... _And...?"_

  
            Mamoru slapped a hand to his forehead. "You're **WAY too trustworthy! I could suck you dry in a ****second, ya know." He prayed this would scare her away.**

  
            "Well!" Usagi huffed. "**THAT wouldn't be very nice!"**

  
            The raven-haired teen sighed. He stopped walking, shoulders slumping. "Look," Mamoru began, eyeing the blonde harshly, "I wasn't joking. We really _are in the video game." He pretended not to take note of Usagi's fallen expression. "You can believe what you want. But it's the truth."_

  
            "B-but..." Usagi's hands began to tremble. "Th-that's **impossible! This has ****got to be a dream!"**

  
            "I've been in here _six years, kid. This __isn't a dream." Mamoru's face grew hard and he began walking again._

  
            "Six years...?" Usagi repeated. "**LIAR!!" she screeched, catching up with Mamoru once more. "The game only came _out two months ago!! _****HA!" the blonde added triumphantly, thrusting a finger on Mamoru's chest.**

  
            "The game went out on the** _market two months ago..." he replied in a hushed tone. It was quite the contrast from his usual high pitched voice. "But, my father works for Sega... The __demo of the game came out a __long time ago... Six years, exactly... And I've been in here since..."_**

  
            Usagi's eyes grew wet. Mamoru was looking down at the ground, eyes soft. Despite how ridiculous the whole thing seemed, Usagi could tell he wasn't lying. She reached out a shaky hand, brushing her fingertips along his shoulder. The young vampire jumped slightly at the sudden touch. His eyes flew over to Usagi's to see they were just as shocked as his own. Mamoru could feel a lump rising in his throat.

  
            "Mamoru... If..." Usagi paused, unsure of how to word her thoughts. "If you've been in here _six years... You must have been a little kid then..."_

  
            The raven-haired teen turned his back to the blonde. "How... How old do you think I am...?" he croaked out, voice wavering. He flinched.

  
            Usagi didn't respond. He had the build of an older teen, but the voice of a child. How could she _possibly pinpoint an age?_

  
            "I can't answer it either..." he replied, to Usagi's bewilderment. Mamoru slowly turned to face her again. His eyes seemed as if there was a thin film of blood covering them. "I... I was fifteen when I came here... But... now..." Mamoru's voice trailed off.

  
            "What...?" Usagi rubbed the back of her neck. "But then you'd be **twenty-one!" She laughed at the thought of a twenty-one year-old with a cracking voice.**

  
            "I am."

  
            Usagi froze.

  
            "The day I came here I was attacked." Mamoru's voice grew distant. "A vampire bit me, turning me into one as well... My body died that day..." He stopped. He blinked in slight surprise as the young blonde came next to him and attempted in touching his arm again. Mamoru didn't pull away, but he didn't look to her either. "I've been stuck in the shell of a fifteen year-old boy that hasn't even finished hitting puberty ever since..." He smiled sadly. "Pretty pathetic, huh...? I'm _never going to grow up." Mamoru bit down his lower lip to keep back a sob. A thin trail of blood made its way down his chin._

  
            "Mamoru..." The blonde stepped in front of him. She brought a shaky hand up to his face, letting her fingertips lightly brush the purple flesh around Mamoru's eyes. The vampire shuddered slightly under the feathery touch. "You're... so cold..." Usagi whispered hoarsely, fingers lingering on his cheek. 

  
            Mamoru parted his blood-red lips slightly, about to say something, but hastily backed away. He jerked his head to the side.  
"Don't look at me like that," he bit out. 

  
            "Like what...?" Usagi's heart clenched in confusion.

  
            "Like you pity me..." Mamoru turned icy eyes to the young girl in front of him. "I don't want pity. Especially from an _annoying kid like you."_

  
            "I'm not a kid!" Usagi retorted, realizing just how childish she made herself sound. She sighed. "I'm gong to be **seventeen in two days." She glared at Mamoru. "So, in a way I'm ****older then you."**

  
            Mamoru's eyes grew wild. An animalistic growl emanated from deep within his throat. Usagi gasped in surprise. She'd really put her foot in her mouth that time... Mamoru clenched his fists and stormed off in the opposite direction.

  
            "W-wait up! Mamoru!!" Usagi dashed after him. "I'm sorry! It was a **joke!"**

  
            The vampire whipped around, stopping Usagi in her tracks. "If it was a **joke I would have ****laughed," he spat out.**

  
            Usagi cocked one hip and rested her hand on it. "Well, you don't seem to be doing too much of that in **general."**

   
            "I **apologize if I don't have much to ****laugh at!!" **

  
            Usagi's ears nearly bled at the shriek of Mamoru's raising voice.

  
            Before the blonde could even blink, Mamoru was a good number of yards away. She watched him in shock, mouth opening and closing, trying to find her voice. Usagi sucked in a deep breath and furrowed her brow.

  
            "**MAMORU!" she screeched as loud as she possibly could. Usagi could see Mamoru visibly jump at the sudden scream, even from so many yards away. "****I KNOW YOU'RE LONELY BUT-"**

  
            Usagi was cut off as a hand was clamped roughly down on her mouth. She gasped under the firm hold that was nearly suffocating her. The blonde's eyes grew wide. Mamoru was griping onto her painfully, eyes wild with fury. Usagi could feel her cheeks burning, not only from the fact that he was holding onto her so hard, but because she realized he had crushed her against his chest in the process.

  
            "You _idiot!" Mamoru hissed threateningly. He yanked his hand away from her mouth. Usagi gasped for breath. "__NEVER scream that loud __again! Do you have some kind of death wish?!"_

  
            Usagi prayed he wouldn't notice that she was still pressed along the length of his body. 

  
            "Sorry," she mumbled in embarrassment. "But I didn't think you'd come back to talk to me willingly..."

  
            "You thought correctly." The vampire loosened his hold on the blonde, but never pulled away.

  
            "Look... What I was going to say was..." The girl sighed, trying to calm her racing heart. "I... I know you've probably been_ really lonely... I mean, you **have been here six years and all... And... Well... You don't have to be alone anymore..." Usagi realized Mamoru's hold on her arm had become so soft it almost tickled.**_

  
            Mamoru's head began to pound. Being this close to Usagi, while her heart was racing none-the-less, was driving him mad. He was a vampire, for goodness sake! It was taking every drop of restraint in his body not to jump the poor thing right then and there. But the part that scared Mamoru the most was because he wasn't sure whether he wanted to jump her to drink her or to kiss her senseless…

  
            "Mamoru...?" Usagi locked eyes with the vampire for a spilt second before being harshly pushed away.

   
            "I'm not lonely." Mamoru's voice was flat. "I've been doing just _fine for the past six years, thank you. I don't need you __hanging all over me. I can cope by myself."_

  
            "What about me?!" the blonde cried. "Maybe you can cope, but **I can't!"**

  
            "You think I **care?!" Mamoru growled. He grabbed the collar of Usagi's uniform. "You listen to me! I don't give a ****crap whether you get yourself killed or not. ****Got that?!" His voice was wavering again. "I'm not your ****damned protector! We may be in the game, but there ****isn't a restart button! This is your new life, but don't think for a second that anyone's going to help you through it! Every ****idiotic human that comes here thinks that someone's going to hold their hand and guide them through this. Well, there ****wrong! That's why most of 'em die within twenty-four hours. And I can't say I have much higher expectations for ****you!"**

  
            Mamoru tore away from the shell-shocked blonde and attempted to storm away once more.

  
            "You died within twenty-four hours, too..." Usagi replied in an almost inaudible tone. Mamoru wasn't sure how, but his ears picked up on the hushed words. He glared at her, beyond all means of furious. "Even you yourself said it, Mamoru. You're body died that day. But I think your heart did too." 

The blonde's face was completely blank. "You're a self-centered, pompous, _asshole, ya know that?"_

  
            "Good." Mamoru tugged on the sleeve of his sports jacket. "All the more reason why you shouldn't care whether I'm lonely or not."

  
            "But, I **do care." Usagi stepped up behind Mamoru and leaned her forehead on his back. She didn't know exactly what had possessed her to do it, but judging by the way Mamoru let out a shuddering breath, she was pretty sure they both were glad she did. **

  
            "Why...?" Mamoru swallowed, trying to bite back the hammering in his chest. "I'm not asking for your sympathy..."

  
            "I don't _care if you ask for it or not." The blonde stepped back slightly. She pulled Mamoru's shoulder back, forcing him to turn to her. "But I'm going to give it to you anyway."_

  
            "You don't even know me," he replied hoarsely. He did **not like the sudden rush of blood throbbing in his temples.**

  
            "I know that you're a vampire," Usagi answered back unsurely. "And your name."

  
            Mamoru grinned. "Well, that's more than I can say about you." 

  
            Usagi blinked. "**That's right! You don't even know my ****name yet!" She jumped back a step and thrust out her arm. "We can just forget about how we met earlier, and re-introduce ourselves, OK? My name is Tsukino Usagi."**

  
            The vampire eyed the bubbly blonde with a hint of amusement reflecting in his eyes. Mamoru took a hold of her hand and lightly brushed his lips along the back of it. "Chiba Mamoru. _Charmed."_

  
            Usagi wasn't sure whether he was mocking her or not, but at least it was a start.  
  
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	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Uhhh.... -_- I'm so washed out... Grrr... I've been typing all day... I think I'm going to go crawl in a corner and die... Sowy if this chapter sucks, I'm really bushed, ^_^; Enjoy.  
  
****Disclaimer: I'm too tired to think of something witty to type here... Use your imagination.   
  
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****Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 4  
  
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            "You know...?"

  
            "Hmmm...?"

  
            "I was hoping after that re-introduction you would be a bit nicer to me."

  
            "You have _too high of expectations."_

  
            Usagi pouted. "Why do you **hate me so much?"**

  
            "I never said I hated you." Mamoru stopped mid-step, considering this. "But it **does have a nice ring to it."**

  
            "**MAAMMMOOORRUUUUUUUU!!!!"**

   
            "Gah!" The said vampire clamped his hand down over the wailing blonde's mouth. "How many _damned times do I have to tell you to not scream so loud?!"_

  
            The blonde grinned sheepishly. "Sowy," she mumbled around the raven-haired teen's hand. Mamoru sighed.

  
            Just as the latter was about to open his mouth to reprimand her again his elf-like ears twitched. Mamoru's back stiffened and he jerked his head to one side. His eyes darted nervously for a second, brow furrowed. The vampire tilted his head up the smallest bit and closed his eyes. Usagi watched in utter confusion as he began to sniff the air slightly.

  
            "Mamoru...?" the blonde squeaked out. "What is it...?" 

  
            "Sunrise." The raven-haired teen opened his eyes again and turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. "I've got to go." Was that a tinge of disappointment in his voice?

  
            "Wha...?" Usagi craned her neck up heavenward and squinted. "I can't see anything past those trees. How could you possibly know if the sun is coming up or not?"

  
            "Sun sprites."

  
            The blonde looked at Mamoru with the most befuddled expression one could achieve. The vampire rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

  
            "This is a fantasy world, remember?" he told her slowly, as if he was chiding someone of lower intellect. "There are all different kinds of creatures living here. Majority of them are pretty nasty, though. The sprites are the second friendliest living things around, however." Mamoru's face soured. "Except for the Death sprites..." He paused. "Well, the Sun sprites hibernate; I guess you could call it, during the night. Nothing can wake them up but the rising sun. Their hearts even stop while they are sleeping." Mamoru sniffed the air once more. "And, being the vampire I am, can smell their little hearts going all a-flutter right now as they're waking up. That's my cue to go to bed."

  
            Usagi stared for a second. Then realization slowly dawned on her that if he was going to bed no one would be around to protect her while he was asleep!

  
            "B-but, Mamoru!!" the blonde stammered. "You **CAN'T leave me here!! I'll be killed for sure!"**

  
            "Look," the vampire growled. "I told you, I'm _not being your protector! And you're __dammed right you'll get killed if you keep screaming like that! The day time is much more dangerous for a boisterous girl like you." Mamoru ignored her rapidly paling face. "So just stay low and shut up. I can't guarantee your safety, but you're lucky I've helped you out this long. See ya around... Odango Atama." With that he turned to leave._

  
            "**WHAT did you just call me?!" the blonde screeched, hand defensively flying up to her unusual hairstyle. **

  
            Mamoru just waved over his shoulder, lightly chuckling. Usagi gasped, calling after him repeatedly, but the vampire kept walking. The blonde stood, mouth agape, completely horrified at the fact that she would be left all by herself for the next twelve hours. Collapsing to her knees, Usagi eyed her surroundings with terror.

  
            "This is going to be a loooonnggg twelve hours..."  
  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   
  
  
(**AN: I'm fully energized now!!)**

  
  
            Usagi sighed sadly, running her fingers through her blonde locks. Mamoru's nickname ran through her head. Odango Atama. He really was quite a rude guy!

  
            A small smile graced the girl's lips. Even though it wasn't the most flattering name to be called it made a light blush tinge her cheeks. At least he wasn't calling her "dumb chick" or "kid" anymore. 

  
            Usagi sat under one of the many trees around her and was about to drift into a daydream about the sexy vampire (**AN: *drool*) when she was snapped out of her thoughts as something slithered past her feet. The blonde let out a yelp and tugged her legs against her chest, eyes impossibly wide. The said creature kept wriggling past, unaware of Usagi's presence. Her eyes followed the snake-like being nervously until it was out of site. She didn't even notice she had been holding her breath until she let it out in one great swoosh of relief.**

  
            "It was only a water serpent."

  
            Usagi squeaked, heart hammering out of her chest. She jumped up in terror, whipping around to the source of the voice. She shielded her eyes with one hand from the sun. It may have been dark and damp in this world at night, but during the day the sun was sweltering!

  
            "Who...?" the blonde managed to strangle out. A human shaped figure stood a mere two feet away, a black cloak wrapped about its whole body. "What do you want...?"

  
            "Relax."

  
            Usagi gulped. How was she supposed to relax?! Some hooded figured had just come up to her with a voice that sounded as if its vocal chords had been ripped from its throat. And, to make matters worse, Mamoru wasn't around to save her if she got in trouble!

   
            Before the blonde could even scream she was pulled hastily against the figure. It wrapped its cloak over both of them and held a hand over the fumbling girl's mouth.

   
            "Shhh!" the figured hushed. "Calm down, it's just me."

  
            Usagi gasped. Even though the figure had pulled her into the cloak with her, letting out all means of light, she could vaguely make out a face. He let his hand drop.

  
            "Mamoru...?!" Usagi blinked. "Is that _you?!"_

  
            Bloodshot eyes stared back at her in amusement. He tightened the cape around the two of them and nodded. Usagi shuddered slightly at the coldness of the tip of his nose as it brushed hers. The scent of blood emanated from his lips. 

  
            "What...? What are you doing awake?!" the blonde reprimanded. "The sun's out!"  
"Ya think?" Mamoru drawled hoarsely. Usagi flinched at his strained voice. "Why else would I have this **damned cloak on?"**

  
            "What's wrong with your voice...?" Usagi slowly began to notice slight abrasions all over his face. 

  
            "It's just from the sun," he whispered out. Was it Usagi's imagination, or was he pulling her closer? "I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd check on you. Figures that you'd be **dumb enough to sit out in the open like that."**

  
            Usagi scowled, trying to desperately calm her thudding heart. Being this close to Mamoru was sending her whole body on hyper-drive. She prayed that it was too dark inside the cloak for him to notice her crimson cheeks.

  
            "I should be getting back now..." A thicker layer of blood seemed to be coating his eyes. "Just wanted to see if you were still alive."

  
            Usagi took this as a sign of affection. "Aww," she cooed. "Does that mean you **care about me?"**

  
            Despite the lack of light Usagi could see Mamoru's usually milky white cheeks flush over the small rash that already seemed to be breaking out on his skin. He cleared his strained throat and began slowly pulling away.

  
            "Like I've said a million times before," the vampire began, "I'm **not going to be your ****bodyguard." He now fully pulled away, hurriedly covering himself fully with the cape. "But I ****will help you out for ****ONE week. That's it."**

   
            Usagi's grin spread from ear to ear. She jumped around excitedly, clapping her hands. She couldn't see Mamoru's features anymore under the cape, but she was sure he was rolling his eyes. 

  
            "Thank you!!" she cried happily, flinging her arms around the young man in front of her. "I knew you weren't a **complete jerk!"**

            Mamoru wriggled free from her hold. "Don't read too much into it." Usagi could hardly make out his words behind the raspy breathing and thick hood. "I'll teach you one lesson of survival each day. By the end of this week, you're on your own."

  
            Usagi watched as he turned around and began walking away.

  
            "Today's lesson," he called over his shoulder in a croaked tone, "Find yourself a place to hide and stay there. You've got nothing else to do."

  
            The blonde was about to open her mouth to thank him, but he was already out of hearing range. She smiled despite herself, glad that he had actually cared enough to come searching for her, even when the sun was beating down so heavily, burning his skin.   
  
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            Usagi turned her head around in all directions, quickening her pace slightly. The sun was just beginning to set, so Mamoru must be getting up soon. The past seven hours after Mamoru's short visit had nearly drove her mad. Not only did her mind keep drifting off to how incredibly close they were, but his words - about finding a place to hide - kept echoing through her brain. With all the built up energy in her slowly-going-insane body, she just had to go out and search for him.

   
            "Geez, Mamoru," the blonde sighed. "How is it I'm falling for a conceited vampire like you... huh?" Usagi smiled sadly at herself. Her heart sped up.

  
            Any minute now the Sun sprites would go to sleep. And then Mamoru would sneak up behind Usagi and scare her senseless. It seemed to be his favorite pastime when it came to the Odango Atama. 

            Usagi could hardly wait.

  
            After a good fifteen minutes of aimlessly wandering Usagi found that she had walked in a complete circle. Slapping a hand to her forehead the blonde began to wearily trudge along again hoping to find her newest obsession, Chiba Mamoru. 

  
            Twenty minutes and a migraine later Usagi wound up standing in front of a cluster of weeds nearly as tall as she. A faint trickle of water could be heard from beyond the weeds. The blonde absent-mindedly noted that the sun had been down for a good half-hour now so she had to squint to see what was right under her nose. Reaching a hand out to part the weeds, Usagi stepped closer to the source of water. 

  
            A pond greeted the girl's surprised blue eyes. The light of the moon glimmered down on the water, sending flecks of light to bounce off its surroundings. Off in the extreme right of the pond was something akin to a waterfall, but two times smaller. Usagi gasped, not only at the breathtaking scenery around her, but at the figure that was standing under the rushing water of the midget waterfall.

  
            Its elf ears twitched slightly. The figure jerked its head to the direction of Usagi's gasp, eyes going impossibly wide.

  
            "**Mamoru?!" Usagi croaked.**

   
            Sure enough, the figure standing under the streaming water was none only but her heart's desire. And, Usagi noted mentally with a gulp and crimson cheeks, he was completely naked.

  
            The vampire stared in shock, mouth hanging open slightly. The sensible part of his mind was desperately trying to remind him that he was stark naked and Usagi was staring at him, but that part of his mind was only so big. 

  
            Usagi could feel her whole face burning all the way to the tips of her ears. It seemed as though her mind had gone completely numb. She soon found her eyes, which were previously glued on the vampire's own, traveling slowly downward. Past the blush on his cheeks, past his blood-stained lips... Down his throat and shoulders, over the alabaster-white skin of his chest and hard stomach, to land on...

  
            "You can stop staring _anytime now." _

  
            Usagi blinked, finally coming back to reality. Her eyes immediately flew back up to meet Mamoru's. She screamed and whipped around in the opposite direction.

  
            "I'm **SOOO sorry!!" the blonde wailed. "So, ****SO sorry!!" **

  
            Usagi could hear splashing of water as Mamoru emerged. He mumbled something under his breath and hastily dried himself off. 

  
            "You can turn around now," Mamoru grunted as he finished putting back on his jeans.

   
            The blonde slowly faced Mamoru again, hands pressed to her flushed cheeks. "I'm _really sorry..." she whispered again._

  
            "Eh..." Mamoru shrugged. He eyed her warily, flicking his soaking wet hair back to have it flop back over his eyes again. "Did you follow me here, or something? How long were you standing there?"

  
            Usagi shook her head frantically. "No! I didn't follow you! I was looking for you, actually... And you saw me the same second I saw you."

  
            Mamoru sat down on a boulder next to him and scratched lightly at his left shoulder. Usagi noticed a rash, similar to the one that had covered his face earlier that day.

  
            "Hey," she started, realization kicking in, "your voice is normal again!"

  
            "Yeah," the vampire mumbled back. He flinched slightly, still scratching the sensitive skin on his shoulders. "But the rash needs time to heal still..."

   
            Silence was all that followed, leaving Usagi's thoughts to roam semi-shamelessly. She couldn't help but let her eyes wander back down Mamoru's chest. The moonlight shining on his wet skin made it appear as though he was glowing. He was... gorgeous...

  
            Usagi was about to mumble another quick apology when a loud rumbling interrupted her speech. Mamoru turned to her in surprise, ears twitching back.

  
            "What the hell was that?" he sputtered, still flushed from the events that had just passed a moment ago.

  
            Usagi grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I'm a bit hungry..."   
  
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**Author's Notes: Well, wipe the sweat off my brow and call me Pinky! ^_^ That was a ****long chapter for me, hehe. My poor fingers hurt... -_-; Oh well, me try to get Chapter 5 out today, too! Review!!**


	6. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Yeah!! Chpater 5!! I'm having fun typing this, ^_^ I have so many ideas for this story! I hope I can get the majority of em down... Hmmm, I was originally going to have Mamoru a bit bitchier... But I wound up making him a bit of a softy when it comes to Usagi... *evil grin* I'll just have to change that... Hehe, enjoy!!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Sailor Moon, Sega Dreamcast, and Skittles, do you REALLY think I'd be sitting here typing this crap?  
  
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Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Is this actually safe to eat...?" Usagi poked a finger at the group of berries in front of her.  
Mamoru shrugged. "How should I know?"  
"Thanks for your golden optimism..." The blonde picked up one of the small fruits and eyed it warily. "What if it's poisinous...?"  
"Well, then it's your funeral," Mamoru retorted nonchalantly.  
"I hope that was a metaphor," Usagi grumbled. "Here goes." She popped the berry into her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Hey... That's really good!!" Usagi stuffed another in her mouth.  
"The poisinous ones always are." Mamoru dodged a pebble Usagi hurled in his direction. "It's the truth..." he replied innocently.  
The vampire walked over to a boulder that had his teeshirt and sport jacket drying on it. He picked up the shirt and swung it back and forth slightly to help it dry faster.  
"Are those your only clothes?" Usagi asked around a mouthful of berries.  
"Yeah." Mamoru sat on a different rock. He gestured towards Usagi's school uniform she was wearing. "And those are your only clothes, now, Odango."  
Usagi blinked. This newfound information was not very comforting. She had to wear her uniform?! For the rest of her life?! Thank God this was only a dream...  
"Gross." Usagi stood up, brushing off her skirt. "I hate this stupid thing. It's too short."  
"I like it." Mamoru winked. Usagi's face turned crimson.   
"Ya know..." the blonde drawled. A devilish little idea just popped into her head. "Maybe I won't mind wearing it so much then..."  
Mamoru cocked a curious eyebrow as Usagi stepped up to him. He was taken a bit aback as she sat herself down on his lap. He could feel his usually pale cheeks burning as the blonde stretched her legs out lazily and crossed them, letting her skirt ride up "accidently." Mamoru gulped.  
"But..." Usagi leaned closer to him, brushing her lips on his temple. "Don't you think I'd look better without it on...?"  
Mamoru jumped up in shock, sending Usagi sprawling on the ground. The blonde huffed, rearranging her skirt and dusting herself off. The raven-haired teen was staring down at her, mouth hanging open. The contrast from the purple skin under his eyes, to the dark red on his cheeks, to the white of his chest was so dramatic it nearly made Usagi's head spin. Usagi grinned mischeviously.   
"I was right." The blonde sat in indian-style on the soft earth beneath her. "You poor thing. You've been all alone for the past six years. No wonder why you're so grumpy." She purred. "You've probably been craving some female attention. You've got the hormones of a twenty-one year-old, but the voice of a kid. Heh, how ironic."  
Mamoru's hand flew to his face so as to not let Usagi see his deepening blush. He stared at her in a mixture of shock, amusement, and... lust...? The vampire cleared his throat and busied himself with putting on his still-damp shirt. Usagi giggled and proceeded to chew on another berry.  
"Hmmm..." Usagi paused, thinking for a moment. "These taste kinda like... Skittles..."  
"Skittles?" Mamoru plopped down next to the chewing blonde. "Really?"  
"Yeah!" Usagi clapped her hands together and turned to the vampire. "Ya think, cuz this is a fantasy world, it might start raining Skittles?!"  
The raven-haired teen stared at the bubbly young girl in surprise for a moment, then burst into a fit of laughter. Usagi watched on cluelessly as to why the vampire found her theory so amusing. However, after a few more seconds of Mamoru's chuckles Usagi soon found herself giggling along with him.  
"You sure are odd," Mamoru told her breathlessly.   
Usagi tugged a lock of hair behind her ear. "This coming from the boy with elf ears and fangs?"  
"This coming from the girl who's not afraid of the boy with elf ears and fangs?" the vampire retorted matter-of-factly.  
Usagi popped a small blue fruit into Mamoru's mouth to hush him up, letting her fingers linger a moment to long. He nipped slightly at the tip of her finger just to startle the blonde and smiled. Usagi blushed lightly and pulled her hand back into her lap.  
"Mamoru?" Usagi began unsurely. "What's todays lesson?"  
The vamp thought for a second, deciding on the next rule. "Don't piss people off." He flashed the blonde a cocky grin. "Especially the vampire."  
"Darn," she mumbled. "And that's so much fun, too."   
"Yeah, well-" Mamoru cut himself off, jumping into full alertness. He sniffed the air once and rose slowly.  
"Huh?" Usagi eyed him nervously. "What is it?"  
"Killing spree..." Grabbing onto his sports jacket, Mamoru began to step through the weeds surrounding the pond. "Something... No, make that a *bunch* of somethings... was just slaughtered."  
"You... smell blood...?"  
"Yeah," he whispered out. The blonde was now standing next to him as they crept deeper into the forest. "I think it's human blood. More kids probably being sucked into the game..."  
Usagi gulped. Why was it that she was beginning to worry that this wasn't really a dream after all...?  
A violent shudder shook itself over the blonde's frail form. She blinked in surprise as Mamoru draped his jacket over her shoulders. She nodded her thanks.  
"Can... can you tell how many...?" she managed to croak out, pulling the coat tighter around her.   
"No." The vampire's eyes darted around a bit. "But whatever killed em... It was probably REAL hungry..." He turned to Usagi with a semi-reassuring smile. "You sure are lucky. You're lasting longer than any other human here."  
"Besides you." The blonde found herself slowly relaxing. "And you're the one who's helped me through the past twenty-four hours."  
"I don't consider myself human," Mamoru bit out a bit harsher than he intended. "And you haven't been here twenty-four hours just yet."  
"Chiba Mamoru's "The Sun is Shining" outlook on life strikes again," Usagi grumbled. "Does your cheeriness ever end?"  
"You'd be suprised," he replied with a small wink. "Well, since you're gonna be stalking me for the rest of the night... Might as well give ya a small tour of the place..."  
Usagi brightened. "Really?! You will?!" The blonde clung onto Mamoru's arm brazenly. "Thanks!!"  
The vampire cringed, trying to wriggle free from the vice grip Usagi had on his arm, but to no avail. He sighed and pulled her to the left. He led her through a thick cluster of trees and then, to Usagi's surprise, to a large clearing. She looked around in curiousity.  
"This is the center of this world." Mamoru gestured with his free hand to the right of him. "Over there is what I call the Nightmare Realm. Real wierd creatures. You know, ghosts, poltergeists, zombies," he paused, "vampires."  
"There are... realms...?" Usagi repeated, not sure whether she heard him right.  
"Well, that's what I consider them as. I think it's like different levels of the game." The vampire pointed straight ahead. "Mythological Realm. Centaurs, serpents, cyclopses. Real disgusting creatures, actually. Deffinately steer clear of those two realms."  
"Got it." Usagi nodded nervously.  
"Over there," he added with a point to his left, "is the Sprite Realm."  
"Sprite...?" Usagi cocked an eyebrow. "Like the soda?"  
"No, Odango," Mamoru sighed out. "Like, the Sun sprites."  
"Oh..."  
"They all look the same pretty much. But not all of them are as friendly as the others." He chewed on his bottom lip carefully, so as to not puncture it with a fang. "Like I said before, the Death sprites are pretty freaky."  
"How can you tell the difference?"   
"Well, the Water sprites are blue. The Nature sprites green. The Sun sprites orange. The Death sprites black... and so on." the raven-haired boy turned around. "And that's the Fairy Tale Realm. Pretty peaceful, actually. But I hate it."  
Usagi beamed. "Are there unicorns, and faries?!" she cried happily.  
"Yeah," he muttered in repsonse. "Girl stuff, ya know?"  
The blonde jumped away from Mamoru and dashed in the direction of the Fairy Tale Realm, to the vampires dismay. He gasped and called out to Usagi, but that didn't stop her. With a cry of exhasperation and a tug of his hair, Mamoru chased after her.  
"Odango!!" he hissed as loud as possible, but without trying to alarm any nearby creatures. "What the hell are you doing?"   
"I wanna see!" she giggled. Usagi stopped running as she made her way into a meadow. She spun around childishly. "This place is beautiful, Mamoru!"  
"You idiot!" Mamoru's voice cracked slightly. He rushed up beside her and tugged on her arm harshly. "What did I tell you about being quiet?!"  
"But, you didn't make that a lesson-of-the-day, yet..." the blonde mumbled sadly. "I didn't think it counted."  
"Well, now it is." Mamoru let go of her and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He voice leveled back down to a normal pitch again.   
"But, it can't be!" Usagi crossed her arms over her chest. Was she REALLY turning 17? "You already gave me a lesson today!"  
Mamoru shot her an icy glare. "And what was that lesson, Odango...?"  
Usagi blinked. "Don't... piss off the vampire...?"  
"Bingo."  
The blonde grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."  
Usagi scratched the back of her head and looked around more carefully at her new surroundings. Oh, how she wished it was daylight, that was she would be able to see this realm more clearly!  
A faint glimmer of something not far off caught Usagi's eye. With a squeal of delight the blonde rushed to the source of the shine. Mamoru groaned and followed her defeatedly. The blonde squeezed between two trees to meet the sight of a unicorn grazing on a few blades of grass.  
Mamoru caught up with her, about to reprimand her again, when the sight in front of him came into view. He blinked slowly, lips slightly parted. It was... beautiful...  
"Mamoru..." Usagi breathed. "That's a unicorn... isn't it...?" Her fingers tingled with the yearning to pet the unusual horse's white mane.   
"Yeah." Mamoru couldn't help but let a faint smile grace his lips. He had never actually bothered to watch any creature in this realm before, but he was glad he was taking the time to do it now.   
"Could I...?" Usagi took a shaky step foward. "Could I go pet him...?"  
Mamoru considered this thoughtfully. He was about to give her a not-so-sure okay, but cut himself off.  
"No." Mamoru grabbed Usagi's arm and pulled her back two steps. "Don't go near it."   
Usagi gazed up at Mamoru in surprise. "Wha... Why not?"   
The vampire pointed. "Look. It's eyes are black."  
"How can you tell? It's so dark." Usagi squinted, but the moonlight wasn't allowing her to actually make out the true color of the unicorn's eyes.  
"Call it a vampire sense." Mamoru's grip on the blonde tightened defensively as the unicorn lifted it's head ot gaze at them. "We're leaving," he croaked out loud enough so this mythical creature could hear them.  
"Ma-mamoru!" Usagi huffed as the vampire pulled on her arm and back out into the clearing. "What was that all about?!"  
"That wasn't a unicorn," he replied, letting her go. "It was a shape-shifter. You gotta be careful when approaching anything around here. If the eyes are black, it's a shape-shifter."  
"What's wrong with that?" Usagi demanded, not fully getting his point.  
"They're like vampires. They'll attack you and bite you. The only difference is that they don't suck your blood. They suck out your soul. That way they can use it as an identity."  
Usagi cringed. "Ew."  
"Well, now you learned three lessons today." He turned to the blonde. "Remember them, you're gonna need 'em."   
Usagi gasped in confusion as he began walking away. She made a little "erk" sound and blinked.  
"Wh-where are you going?" she cried hysterically. "It's not sunrise yet!"  
"I'm hungry." Mamoru stopped walking and turned back to her. "I severly doubt you want me hanging around you when I'm hungry." Usagi gulped and shook her head. "It's settled then. This might take a while, so if i don't see ya before sunrise, sweet dreams."  
Usagi sunk to the ground sleepily, watching Mamoru's retreating back in a bit of a daze. She absent-mindedly noted that she was still wearing his jacket. She smiled slightly as she lay down in the soft earth. Maybe she'd sleep the next day away, that way when she woke up it would be night again. Tightening the coat around her, the scent of Mamoru flooded her senses. The vampire was the only semi-coherent thought in the blonde's mind as she drifted off to sleep.  
  
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Author's Notes: Woohoo!! Chapter 5 is done!! Me so happy!! Well, enjoy guys, I'm not typing anymore today (not like anyone is reading this anyway... -_-). Bai!! 


	7. Chapter 6

Author's Notes: Yeah, chapter 6!! Thank you to everyone who has read this far and is reviewing me! FREE HUGS!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I'm a multi-billionare. I own Sega. I own Sailor Moon. I own Mars (the candy company). I OWN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!!  
  
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Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 6  
  
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Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut (you'll look more intelligent anyway).  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
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Usagi groaned and slowly sat up. Blinking sleepily, the blonde ran the back of her hand over her blurry eyes. She stifled a small yawn and stretched her arms over her head. She still had Mamoru's jacket.  
"How was your sleep, my little nocturnal stalker?"  
Usagi blinked, spinning her head to the voice. Mamoru was sitting a few feet away, leaning his back against a tree trunk, legs splayed out in front of him. He flashed her a cocky grin.  
"I'm not a stalker," Usagi bit back defensively. "How long have I been asleep?" she asked groggily, folding the jacket and placing it next to her.  
"Well, I left to go grab some food yesterday," Mamoru paused, realizing how literal that statement was, "and when I came back just before sunrise you were already asleep. I was gonna hide ya, since you seem to have some kind of death wish, sleeping out in the open and all..." He shrugged. "But I left ya alone."  
"It's the next day already?" The blonde swung her head around, annoyed that he just left her like that. She mentally noted that the moon was already hanging in the sky.  
"Yep."  
Usagi gasped a bit in suprise as Mamoru tossed something in her direction. With a squeal the girl held up her hands to block it, causing it to bounce off her palm to the grass beneath her.   
The blonde glared at Mamoru, then at the small object. It was two leaves, tied together at the top by something akin to rawhide. Usagi picked it up warily, realizing that there was something inside the leaf-pouch. She hesitantly pulled the string loose, the two leaves falling free from eachother. Out rolled a dozen or so berries.  
"There not posionous."  
"That's what you said about the last batch." Usagi poked at one of the fruits.  
"And I was right, wasn't I?" the vampire retorted.  
"And what if you weren't?" Usagi cocked an eyebrow at him.  
"I know they weren't posionous." Mamoru adverted his gaze. "I had one before I gave 'em to ya..." A small flush made it's way over his pale cheeks. "To make sure."  
"Really...?" Usagi was beaming. "Awww! Mamoru, you actually cared enough to do that for me?!"  
The vampire's eye twitched once. He shrugged uneasily. "Eh... I'm a vampire, it's not the like the posion would have kiled me anyway," he managed out, trying to write off the topic.  
"Oh, come on," Usagi cooed. "Admit, you just did it because you like me!"  
"Rule #2," Mamoru stated flatly. Usagi remember the rule and shut her mouth in dissapointment.  
"Poopy-head."  
"*That's* mature," Mamoru scoffed. "Are you REALLY seventeen?"  
Usagi gasped. Seventeen?! That's right! Today was her birthday!!"  
"Mamoru!" the blonde squealed. "Yes!! Yes, today's my seventeenth birthday!!"  
Before Mamoru could blink he was pulled up from his sitting position under the tree. Usagi was holding his hands, jumping around like crazy. She was giggling and throwing her arms around him every few seconds to capture him in such a tight hug he wondered where she got all that strength from.  
Suddenly, all cheeriness faded from the girl's face.  
"Oh no..." Usagi's grip on Mamoru loosened. "I... I'm sleeping through my birthday..."  
"Sleeping?" Mamoru's expression grew blank. "You still think this is just some dream?"  
"Well, yeah!" Usagi slapped his shoulder playfully, though not back to her usual hyper-self. "When I went to sleep yesterday, I had this wierd..." She paused, unsure of how to word it.  
"Out-of-body experience?"  
"You've had 'em, too?!" Usagi grinned. "I was in a hospital room, but nobody could see me! I looked over at the bed, and it was me! The doctors were all huddled around. And, my mom and dad, too." Her voice grew softer. "The nurse said something about a coma... So, that's what this is." Usagi gripped Mamoru's hands again. "I'm just dreaming up this whole freaky world, while the real me is in a coma!"  
Mamoru pulled away, to the blonde's dismay. A flash of pain shot over his features.   
"No," he replied as smoothly as possible. "This isn't just your imagination. Your body is laying in the hospital bed, true... But, only your body. Your actually standning right here, in Heaven's Flames. It's no dream."  
Usagi's face fell. No, that wasn't possible! You can't just get sucked into a video game! It was... crazy!! She HAD to be making this all up!  
"Look," the vampire sighed. "You can believe what you want. Let's just get off this topic, OK? It's your birthday, so..." He shrugged. "I dunno, I guess I'll bit nice to you for today, or something."  
"For a change," Usagi muttered sarcastically.   
He's right, she was allowed to believe what she wanted. If she wanted to think this was a dream, then so be it! And she tried, too, but the fact that she was *forceing* herself into thinking it was all her imagination left her feeling unsure.  
Usagi realized Mamoru was sniffing the air again. "What do you smell...?" she asked nervously.  
"Breakfast." Mamoru spun on his heel in the direction of the scent, waveing over his shoulder. "I'll meet ya back here in a bit. Enjoy the berries, Odango."  
Usagi grumbled something under her breath. She sat back down, dejectedly, next to his jacket.  
Usagi felt like a squirrel, living off small fruits. Meanwhile, the object of her affection, was wandering around, snapping necks.   
"How do I get myself into these things?!"  
  
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(AN: I'm very tempted to end the chapter right there because I'm sleepy... -_-;; But I'll be a nice little author and keep going...)  
  
  
Usagi made a little "eep" noise as she felt a tug on one of her blonde pigtails. She whipped around to nearly crash into a certain vampire. Loosing her balance from spinning around so fast, Usagi stumbled foward and fell onto the raven-haired teen's chest. He laughed, she groaned.  
"You're such a clutz," he teased, voice softer than usual.  
Usagi pushed herself away hastily and opened her mouth to reprimand him when something soft tickled against her cheek. She blinked in surprise, realizing that Mamoru was brushing a flower across her jawline. A deep blush stained the blonde's cheeks.  
"For you." Mamoru tapped the tip of Usagi's nose with the flower. "Happy Birthday."  
Usagi felt herself get dizzy. She numbly nodded her thanks and took the tiger-lily typed-flower into her shaking hands. Why was Mamoru being so incredibly nice...? Because it was her birthday...? Well, whatever the case may be, Usagi was sure enjoying it!  
Mamoru's: "How was your breakfast?" snapped Usagi out of her dreamstate.  
"Fine, thanks," she mumbled. Usagi gulped and inhaled the sweet scent of Mamoru's gift to her. "I'd ask you how your's was, but I really don't want the details." This caused a grin to grace his blood-red lips.  
Usagi soon realized that she was sitting down now, Mamoru next to her. Her heart was pounding so fast all of a sudden! How was he doing this to her? She shuddered lightly as the bareskin that wasn't covered by his teeshirt brushed against her own. He seemed warmer than usual...  
Usagi cleared her throat, trying to find sometype of conversation. She reached for the sports jacket that he had still left in her possesion. She unfolded it and splayed it across her lap. She gently laid the flower down ontop of the coat.  
"Are you OK?"  
Usagi gasped. She turned to Mamoru with crimson cheeks and wide blue-eyes. She nodded the smallest bit and smiled shakily. Mamoru chuckled.  
The blonde stiffened as Mamoru leaned in to brush his lips against her own. Her whole body went completely ridgid as his blood-red lips softly teased hers. It felt as though her heart was about to burst. Her vision blurred the smallest bit and her lids grew heavy. She trembled slightly as the vampire brought his hand up to caress her cheek, slowly pulling away.  
"What...?" Usagi sighed breathlessly. "What was that for...?"  
"No reason..." Mamoru's breath was hot against her face. Their noses were still brushing. "Just a spur of the moment type thing..."  
Since when did Mamoru just do things in the "spur of the moment"?  
Usagi inhaled sharply and Mamoru pressed his cheek against her own. He blew softly on her ear. Waves up goosebumps shot up Usagi's spine. She soon found Mamoru leaving a hot trail of kisses down her jaw and throat. The blonde stifled a moan.  
"Why... are you acting like this...?" Usagi whispered dizzily. "All of a sudden...?"  
"I don't know," the vampire murmered against the crook of her neck. "I just can't keep it in any longer..."  
Usagi trembled as Mamoru kissed her neck. He wouldn't bite her, would he?  
"Mamoru... I..."  
"Shhh." He lips were pressed against her own again. "Don't say anything..."  
Usagi had to sum up all her energy just to keep her eyes open. He was driving her crazy! The way she could still feel the kisses he left on her throat and neck... The way his body was cold, but his breath so hot... The way his lips were teasing her... The way he was staring at her with those black eyes...  
Usagi gagged.  
She tried to scream, but couldn't find her voice. Trembling with horror, the blonde jumped up, legs nearly giving way. The jacket and flower flew off her lap. She stared at the man before her, eyes impossibly wide.  
"You...!" Usagi could hardly breathe. "You're not Mamoru...!"  
The raven-haired teen eyed her with confusion. He slowly stood, smiling sadly in an almost pitiful way.  
"What are you talking about?" Mamoru let out a hoarse laugh. "Usagi, what's wrong with you?"  
"NO!" the blonde screeched, backing away frantically. "No, Mamoru NEVER calls me Usagi!" The tears were welling up in her eyes, now. "He always calls me "dumb", or "kid", or "Odango Atama"!" She could hardly stand. "And his eyes... they're blue!!"  
Thank God for Rule #4.   
The man in front of Usagi grinned. He cocked a curious eyebrow, face going sinister. He slowly began to advance on the fumbling girl.  
"You're smarter than you look," he hissed.  
Usagi took a shaky step back, trying to keep as much distance as possible between "Mamoru" and she. She soon found herself running, as fast her numb legs could carry her, tumbling over every branch and rock on the way.  
Usagi screamed, crying out for the real Mamoru's help. How could she have been so blind?! She should have known from the start that this romantic wasn't indeed *her* Chiba Mamoru. But, there was always that fleeting hope...  
Before Usagi could even scream for help she was pinned to the rocky earth beneath her. The shape-shifter in Mamoru's form was stradling her, holding down her arms with an unbelievable strength. His face was turning impatient.  
"Now, now," he spat. "Just hold still, and it won't hurt as much." How reassuring.  
Usagi opened her mouth to cry out, but could find no voice. She realized her cheeks were wet with tears and that there was a cut on her forehead. She knew her legs were most likely scratched up too, but if they were, they were too numb for her to tell. And soon the rest of her body with them.  
Usagi tried to squirm desperately away, but the creature on top of her was much to strong. She could feel her chest tightening. The shape-shifter's lips were on her neck again. She squeezed her eyes shut.  
Mamoru! she cried mentally. Help me!!  
Usagi choked, felling the teeth begin to pierce her flesh.  
Suddenly, the sensation was gone. The weight of the creature's body on her still remained, however.   
Usagi's mind screamed with the possibility that she was dead, but a strangled cry broke through her thoughts. There was a sharp cracking noise, and then only heavy breathing.  
Usagi opened her eyes in terror of what she would see.  
There, still stradling her lap, but not pinning down her arms, was the shape-shifter. His head was snapped to the side so far that his spine had jutted sideways out of his throat. His mouth hung agape, eyes wide, but unseeing.  
Dead.  
The blonde's heart nearly stopped.  
Behind the shape-shifter was the answer to her cries for help.  
The real Mamoru stood, a hand gripping onto the fake one's hair. He threw the body aside, letting it roll off Usagi. His chest was heaving. Usagi noticed that he was slightly hunched over, a look of pain unmistakeably covering his face. There were small bite marks on his neck.  
"You OK...?" the vampire wheezed out. He fell to his knees by the dumbstruck Usagi.  
The blonde just lied there, staring at him with wet, unblinking eyes. Her chest was rising in falling with the great gasps for air she was taking in, but slowly. All she could hear was the thudding of her heart.  
Mamoru reached out a shaky hand to brush sweat-drenched bangs off the girl's forehead. He slowly helped pull her up into a sitting position. He slapped her cheek lightly, trying to break her out of her stupor.  
"It's all right, Odango." Mamoru smiled softly. "It's really me."  
"Mamoru..." Usagi croaked out, expression still the same. "You...?"  
Mamoru sighed a bit with relief, glad she was finally snapping out of her comatose form. He absent-mindedly scratched at the puncture wounds on his neck.   
Usagi blinked for the first time in two minutes. Her teary blue-eyes flew to where Mamoru was scratching.  
"He... bit you..." Usagi felt her throat closing up. "That shape-shifter bit you... to get to me..."  
Mamoru shrugged. He pulled the neck of his teeshirt over the bites. "It's nothing..." His chest was still heaving slightly. "It hurts a bit, but I'll live. I'm immortal, remember? I figured something was wrong, though... They normally don't other with me... I was just gonna lie there for a bit, waiting for my strength to come back... But then I heard you scream..."  
The impact of the last ten minutes sunk in so fast Usagi thought her brain might explode. Tears immediately began rushing out of her eyes. She began sobbing uncontrolably.  
Mamoru swallowed nervously. He slowly leaned closer to the crying blonde. Hesitantly, he brought his arms around her and pulled her trembling form to his chest. "It's OK," he whispered softly in her ear. "You're OK, now." An overwhemling sensation of protection for this girl swelled up inside Mamoru. "I'm here, everything's all right..."  
And Usagi knew he was right.  
  
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Author's Notes: That took me SOOOOO long to write!! I've been sitting here for THREE and a half hours!! o_O;; I'm gonna try to get chapter 7 out today... But no promises ^_^; Bai! 


	8. Chapter 7

Author's Notes: E-oh!! You know, I don't know why I type author's notes... Nobody reads 'em... I'm just probably talking to myself... Of course, THAT would be nothing new... Oh wells... Enjoy (not like you're reading this ANYWAY!!!!!)  
  
Disclaimer: I live in a one-floor-two-family apartment. My room is the size of a SMALL matchbox. Any questions?  
  
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Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 7  
  
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Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut (you'll look more intelligent anyway).  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
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Usagi felt that she was moving.  
The blonde's blood-shot eyes snapped open. Her muscles tensed.  
"You're awake."  
Usagi soon realized that she was being carried a la honeymoon style by Mamoru. She blushed crimson.  
"Why... are you carrying me...?" she asked in embarassment.   
"Well, after a good half hour of crying," Mamoru began matter-of-factly, "you fell asleep."  
"Oh." The blonde sagged in Mamoru's hold. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Sorry..."  
"It's all right." Mamoru shifted her slightly in his arms. Usagi blushed deeper. "Are you OK...?" he asked hesitantly.  
"Mmm..." she mumbled as an affirmative. Usagi realized that she had her head right next to the bite marks on Mamoru's neck. "Are you...?"  
"Me?" Mamoru chuckled dryly. "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about..." His voice faded unsurely at the end.  
"I'm glad..."  
A uneasy silence fell over the two.  
Usagi found herself being set down to sit next to Mamoru's sports jacket. She had left it when she ran from the shape-shifter. Her eyes filled at the sight of the flower.  
Usagi sucked in a breath as Mamoru gingerly fingered the bruised flesh of her neck. Mamoru drew his hand back a bit, surprised at her reaction. He stared at the blonde for a moment and then slowly, so as to not alarm her, touched the wound again.   
"He drew a bit of blood," Mamoru murmered more to himself than to Usagi. "I don't think it's anything too serious. That cut on your forehead, though..."  
Usagi winced slightly as Mamoru brushed her bangs away from the wound. The vampire eyed the cut thoughtfully. With a bit of hesitance, Mamoru bit down on his idex finger. A small gasp parted Usagi's lips as blood began to seep from the bite.  
"Mamoru...! What are-"  
Usagi cut herself off as Mamoru pressed his bleeding finger to the cut on the blonde's forehead. He smeared his blood over her own and then slowly pulled away. Usagi's scalp tingled.  
"What did you just do...?" Did she really want to know the answer?  
"No clue, but it worked," Mamoru answered nonchalantly.  
Usagi eyed the man before her warily. She brought her hand up to her forehead. She squeaked.  
"The cut's gone!!"  
Mamoru shrugged. "I figured it would work. If I get a cut, it usually heals right away. I thought, that if I put my blood on your wound, it would heal it." He grinned slightly. "Guess it worked."  
Usagi gestured towards Mamoru's punctured neck. "So why haven't those healed?"  
"They're too deep." He scratched at the bites again. "It'll take a while."  
Usagi mentally noted that his voice had seemed softer ever since he saved her. The bites must have really taken it out of him...  
"What would I do without you...?" Usagi sighed. "Thank you."  
Mamoru grew nervous in an embarassed way. "Only a few more days, Odango... Better not get comfortable with me saving your butt all the time."  
Usagi adverted her gaze. He was right, it was already the end of the second day with Mamoru. How *would* she survive without him?  
"What's today's rule...?" she asked hoarsely. Mamoru pretended not to notice.  
"If you need help, only go to the faries."  
Usagi blinked. "In the Fairy Tale Realm?"  
Mamoru nodded. "Yeah, they'll pretty much *always* help you out." His face soured. "But they'll annoy you for the rest of your life in return..." He winked at the blonde. "They remind me of you."  
Usagi huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. Mamoru grinned. She tossed a pigtail over her shoulder angerily. Her fingers got tangled in the knots.  
"Grr..." the blonde grumbled. "Do you have a brush?"   
Mamoru slipped her a side-ways-"you've-got-to-be-kidding-me"-glance.  
"What the hell do you get the knots out of your hair with then?!" Usagi wailed. She tugged at her messy pigtails.  
"I've got short hair," Mamoru replied, "it doesn't really get tangled. And if it does I just wash it and run my fingers through it."  
"Great..." Usagi grumbled. "This bites. I'm living off berries, I don't have a brush, I don't have a TOOTHbrush, I haven't showered in TWO days..."  
"Oh, that's what that stench is?"  
"Shaddup," the blonde hissed. She sighed wearily and stood. "I'm gonna go take a bath."  
"And how do you propose to do that?" Mamoru watched her carefully as she brushed past him.  
"At that pond with the spring, of course," Usagi replied, as if this was common knowledge.  
"MY pond with the spring," Mamoru bit out. It was a fact, not a question.  
"Yes," Usagi answered back cheekily, "that one."  
"No way!" Mamoru darted in front of her, stopping Usagi in her tracks. "You've contaminated *enough* of my life, thank you. I don't need you taking over my pond too!"  
"Fine." The blonde pretended to be hurt. "I'll find some place else."  
Mamoru stared at her for a second, contemplating whether she was telling the truth or not. He let her pass reluctantly.  
Usagi waved goodbye and skipped off.  
"Sucker."  
  
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(AN: I want to end this chapter here SOOOO bad!! But then that wouldn't be too good for my reviews, huh? Eh... The joys of being an author...)  
  
  
She was there. He could sense it.  
The little liar! She said she'd go find her own spot!  
"I'm so gullable..." Mamoru muttered under his breath.   
He slowly advanced on the weeds surrounding HIS pond and spring. Mamoru could hear slight splashing of water. She was definately there. He reached his hand out to part the weeds but stopped.  
If it wasn't just his imagination, then Usagi was on the other side. And she would be under the stream... Mamoru gulped. Naked.  
But, the hormone raging portion of Mamoru's brain began, it would only be fair. After all, she walked in on you.  
The sensible part of Mamoru's mind argued back with: she did it accidently!  
Unfortunately for Usagi (and *fortunately* for the readers!), as been proved before, the sensible portion of Mamoru's mind never really got the last say.  
The vampire soon found himself leaning against a tree a few feet away from the spring. Usagi had her back turned and didn't even realize his presence.  
Mamoru felt his face grow hot along with a lower region of his body. Damned teenage hormones! Mamoru hadn't felt like this for the past six years. It was driving him to the point of insanity!  
The vampire's eyes just stared at the back of Usagi's head for a minute. Her hair was down, sticking to her wet skin. He could just barely make out the dip in the small of Usagi's back through her tumbling mass of drenched hair.   
Mamoru felt his head get light and his chest tighten. The desire to touch the girl in front of him was so strong he thought he would burst. His blood was hammering through his veins, giving color to the usually milky white vampire. A light sweat broke out above his upper lip and on his forehead. He never had felt such raging desire for anything before in his whole life!  
Mamoru's eyes flew quickly back up as Usagi shifted slightly under the spring. She turned slightly to the side, just enough to let Mamoru get a quick glimpse of the side of her breast.  
The raven-haired-hormone-raging teen clenched his fists in order to restrain himself. His eyes roamed down along her body, savoring every inch of the rosy skin. He almost felt disgusted with himself to be watching her like this... *Almost*...  
Mamoru noticed that she had turned more fully to him a moment too late.   
The vampire had never heard a scream quite so loud in his whole life.  
  
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Author's Notes: I LOVE CLIFF HANGERS!!! 


	9. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Chapter 8!! Well, this is obviously going to be WAY over 10 chapters... ^_^;; That's cuz I write 'em all so short! Oh well, read and review!  
  
Disclaimers: Look, let's get one thing straight here. I don't even own my own damned soul, OK?! That's Satan's department. And you expect me to own SAILOR MOON?! *dies from laughter*  
  
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Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 8  
  
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Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
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"MAMORU!! YOU STUPID, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING, PERVERT!!!"  
Chiba Mamoru stood, leaning against a tree, back turned to the fuming blonde. He couldn't believe he let himself get caught!! What kind of an idiot-  
Mamoru cut his thoughts short. He already knew the answer to that one.  
"What the HELL is your problem?!!" Usagi screeched from behind him.  
"Rule #3," Mamoru reminded.  
"I don't give a CRAP about 'Rule 3#!!!' Why were you spying on me you disgusting pervert?!!" Mamoru winced at the number of octaves Usagi climbed in that last sentence alone. Even HE couldn't go THAT high.  
"Well..." Mamoru began uneasily, "we're even now..."  
"EVEN?!" Usagi stormed over to the vampire, whacking him over the head. "I hardly call it even!"  
Mamoru spun around to see Usagi a foot away from him. The only thing that she was wearing, far as Mamoru could tell, was his sports jacket zipped up all the way. To the vamp's dismay, it nearly reached her knees. He hadn't even noticed she had brought the thing with her.   
Usagi rammed her hands on her hips, legs spread slightly, as if she was in a fighting stance. Her hair was sticking to her flushed face. Her mouth was twisted into a scowl. She looked like a little girl who had just sucked on a sour candy.   
Mamoru couldn't help but chuckle.  
"WHAT are you laughing at?!" Usagi demanded.   
"You..." Mamoru gestured to the steaming blonde, still laughing, "just look so cute..."  
Usagi was taken a bit aback. "Cute...?" she asked in confusion. "CUTE?!!" The blonde whacked the laughing Mamoru over the head repeatedly. "I'LL GIVE YA CUTE, YOU STUPID LITTLE-"  
"SHHH!!" the vampire reprimanded as sternly as possible past his mirth. "You wanna get us killed?"   
"I wanna get YOU killed!" she retorted, lower the voluming only the slightest.  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!" Mamoru grabbed the blonde's hands in order to stop her attacking. "But, honestly, Odango, you should be flattered."  
Usagi's mouth fell open.  
"I'm serious." Mamoru back away uneasily. "I mean, I'm the closest thing to human here. You should be grateful that I actually find you attractive." He didn't think that would be too much of a comfort, but it was worth a shot.  
Usagi's shoulders slumped. She sighed in exhasperation and trudged over to the boulder her uniform was drying on. She poked at the shirt and solemned slightly.  
"How long were you standing there?" Usagi turned back to Mamoru. "Be honest."  
"Erm..." The vampire cleared his throat. "Maybe two or three minutes..."  
Usagi flushed all the way from her toes to the roots of her hair. Mamoru coughed nervously.  
"Th-three minutes...?!" she squeaked. He was staring at her for THREE minutes?!   
Mamoru rammed his hands into his pockets. He blurted out the next few words before he could stop himself. "You're beautiful, how could I not stare?"  
As realization slowly dawned on him, Mamoru's expression became just as dumbstruck as Usagi's. Had he really said that out loud?!  
Usagi's heart skipped a beat.  
"You..." the blonde stuttered, "think I'm beautiful...?"  
Mamoru hopped from one leg to another. He pursed his lips and darted his eyes around. His ears were twitching slightly.  
"I... um..." Mamoru cleared his throat again. "D-don't read too much into it, or anything... It's just..." He cracked his knuckles. "You're lucky..."  
"'Lucky...?'" Usagi blinked. "How?"  
"Well," he began, voice wavering slightly, "you've got such a... *matured* body..." Mamoru mentally kicked himself for how retarted that sounded.  
Usagi squirmed. She pulled the jacket lower down on her thighs. Then, realizing that this showed a bit too much cleavage, hastily let go.  
"Thanks... I think..." she whispered. She suddenly felt incredibly dizzy.  
Mamoru desperately tried to swallow the rising lump in his throat. "My body'll never be matured like that..." he wound up croaking out.  
Usagi's eyes flew to Mamoru's adverted ones in surprise. He had a hand against his throat and was nibbling on his bottom lip. He attempted in clearing his throat two more times.  
"Mamoru..."  
The raven-haired teen's back stiffened as Usagi pressed her palms against his chest. She had her head tilted up the tiniest bit in order to meet his gaze. Her blue eyes seemed to grow watery.  
"I don't see anything wrong with the way you are..." The moonlight shining on the blonde's face only intesified how deep her blush looked. "I wouldn't be upset if I were you... I mean... You're pretty well endowed." Usagi's face turned blood-red. "Even though you may have a cracking voice," she added hastily.  
Mamoru's lips were parted slightly in suprise. She thought he was... "endowed?!" The twenty-one year-old part of him swelled with pride.  
The vampire opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a squeak. Mamoru's hands flew to his mouth in horror. How embarassing! Oh, how he regretted opening his mouth right then!  
Usagi knew it was wrong and that he'd probably get pissed off, but she couldn't help bursting into a fit of giggles. Mamoru shot her a death glare.  
"Shut up," his hissed as low as possible. He reminded her of Rule #2.  
"Sorry, sorry," she cried past her laughter. Usagi wiped away a tear that had leaked out from her giggling. "it's just... you... *squeaked!*" And she was off again.  
Mamoru made a screeching noise from deep within his throat in aggrivation. Tearing at his hair, the vampire stormed off.  
Usagi immediately stopped laughing and chased after him. "Wait! Mamoru, stop!!" She grabbed onto his arm once she caught up with him. "I'm sorry, I won't laugh anymore."  
Mamoru kept walking, completely ignoring her. That is, until she tugged his arm so hard he thought it popped out of it's socket. He soon found himself wth his back pressed against a tree. Since when was Usagi strong enough to pin him to a tree?  
"I'm sorry," she said again. "Please, don't be mad." Usagi made a pathetic little puppy dog face.  
Mamoru eyed her warily. He desperately tried to ignore the fact that her hands were pressed against his chest again, causing his heart to hammer. He sighed defeatedly.  
"Whatever," he grumbled. Mamoru's head was spinning. "I've gotta go anyway, the sun's coming up soon."  
Usagi's face fell. "Oh." Her hands became lighter on his chest. "OK, I guess..."  
"I'll... see you tomorrow then..." Mamoru was just about to remove the blonde's hands from him when she cut him off.  
"Mamoru, I-" She didn't even notice that she had grabbed fistfulls of his shirt in her hands. "I... meant what I said... You shouldn't be upset..."  
Mamoru's throat seemed to tighten. His hands were itching like crazy to reach out and touch the blushing blonde in front of him. Didn't she know she was standing WAY too close for comfort?  
"Rule #6..." Mamoru began, pulling away hastily "Don't get attached to anyone." He desperately tried to rid himself of the throbbing in his temples. Mamoru walked a few feet away and then cocked his head back to stare at the befuddled girl. "Especially me."  
  
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Author's Notes: Sorry that chapter was so short (aren't they all?)!! I wanted to try to get this out since this weekend is Easter and I prolly won't be allowed on the comp to write... -_-;; I'm gonna try to get chapter 9 out by the end of tomorrow, but no promises. ^_^ Bai! 


	10. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: I'm so sorry this took over two weeks (three or more maybe...) to come out! Since I was out of school for so long, I had WEEKS of work to make up over vacation... -_-;; I don't know when I'm ever gonna get the time to write chapter 10... But I'll try!  
  
Disclaimers: I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter whether I type a disclaimer or not, because everyone knows I'm just some poor son uvva bitch trying to waste the days away typing. ^_^  
  
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Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 9  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
Rule #6: Don't get attached to anyone.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Usagi had never had such a fitful slumber in her whole life. It was so hard to get back to sleep once she woke up, too, since the sun was shining down so heavily. It was so wierd to be nocturnal!  
Usagi sighed in exhasperation. She was too hot if she put Mamoru's sports jacket on, but she was too cold if she took it off. She was too high-strung to sleep, but too tired to stay awake. She was too depressed to be in love, and too in love to be depressed.  
The blonde gasped. Too... in love...? With Chiba Mamoru...?  
The thought had Usagi's heart hammering.  
Usagi rolled onto her side. She grabbed Mamoru's jacket and draped it over herself. The sun was setting and the temperature in the forest was slowly decreasing. She was glad she had an actual excuse to be clinging onto the coat.  
Mamoru will be coming along soon, Usagi thought hopefully. And he would yell at her for sleeping out in the open again. She would laugh it off and eat the breakfast he had picked for her. He would wander around for his prey, leaving Usagi to her daydreams. Then come back to say something sweet, build up her hopes, and crush her heart when he left at sun rise.   
Usagi felt dizzy. She was about to lay down when she realized that she already was. Mamoru was spurring the strangest emotions in her!  
Yawning lazily, the blonde slowly sat up. Her head was throbbing from the lack of sleep, but she suddenly felt odly energized. She looked down sleepily to realize that her uniform was back on. She didn't even remember putting it on after it had dried...  
"Heads up."  
Usagi jerked her head to the side to see something coming at her in a blur. With a squeak she held up a hand defensively and caught the offending object.  
"Jeez, Mamoru!" Usagi whined. "Warn me before you do stuff like that!"  
"I said 'heads up,'" the newcomer grumbled. He folded his arms over his chest. "Not my fault you're oblivious."  
"Nyah," Usagi drawled, sticking out her tongue. She looked down to her hands to see something akin to a peach. "Wuzz this?"  
"I dunno, I saw it and picked it." Mamoru shrugged one shoulder. "Didn't test it for posion though."  
"So much for the fleeting hope that you cared."  
"Must have been a *very* fleeting hope."  
Usagi's heart sank. That wasn't the reply she was hoping for.   
The blonde sighed and bit into the fruit. Part of her was praying it really was posionous and it would put her out of her misery. Anything was better than the way her heart seemed like it was going to burst when Mamoru was around.  
Mamoru sat down next to the somber girl. "You OK...?" he asked hesitantly. Mamoru wasn't sure whether he really wanted to know the answer or not.  
Usagi mumbled a small affirmative, chewing slowly. The vampire eyed her carefully.  
"You look like you had a rough night." Mamoru prayed it wasn't because of him. A coppery taste filled his mouth.  
"I guess," the blonde murmered. She finally swallowed after two tries. "Just didn't get much sleep."  
"It shows." Mamoru wished he could kick himself for saying that.  
"Thanks," Usagi groaned sarcastically. "You really know how to cheer a girl up."  
Mamoru sighed. He wanted to apologize, but he didn't want Usagi to think he cared. Whether he really did or not was another story...  
Mamoru turned his head to the chewing blonde next to him and blinked in slight surprise. She was sitting in indian style, his jacket drooped haph-hazardly over her shoulders. Her head was down, back hunched over a bit. Usagi stared with half open eyes at the orange fruit in her hands. Her golden locks spilled down her back and shoulders from all directions, loose from it's pigtails. Mamoru absent-mindedly noted that the fruit in her hands was shaking. No, make it that her hands were shaking.  
"Are you *really* all right...?" Mamoru was shocked himself at the raw infliction in his voice. Did he really care that much?  
Usagi gulped. She blinked away the oncoming tears. She made a small nod. The blonde attempted in bringing the fruit back up to her mouth, but her hands were trembling so badly that it fell loose from her grasp.  
"Jesus, Odango." Mamoru gripped her shoulders a bit too hard. "What the hell is wrong?"  
"I..." Usagi bit back a sob. Why did she feel like crying so badly? Why did it feel as though her heart was swelling up so much it was suffocating her? "I don't know..."  
Mamoru felt his throat closing up. "Why are you crying then?" he managed out past the lump in his chest.  
"I am...?" Usagi brought shaky fingers up to her tear soaked cheeks. "I didn't even notice..."  
"Usagi!"   
The fact that Mamoru had said her actual name, and with such a strained pull to it, caused Usagi's head to snap up in shock.  
Mamoru's eyes were growing bloodshot.  
"You... you wanna know why I'm crying...?" Usagi choked out. "It's because I hurt..."  
Mamoru could have sworn he was having some sort of asthma attack. It wasn't natural for your throat to be so tight like that, was it?  
"Everytime I think about you it hurts..."  
That wasn't the response Mamoru wanted.  
"I always pray you'll loosen up a bit and start to actually care..."  
Oh, but he cared more than even he himself could fathom.  
"And when that shape-shifter came along... and I thought it was you..."  
Mamoru's stomach lurched.  
"I thought I would die from happiness..."  
The vampire's vision was turning red from the blood-tears welling in his eyes.  
"That's all I want, Mamoru... Is for you to actually care..."  
Mamoru bit back a sob.  
"I just...!"  
Neither of them seemed to notice that Mamoru was holding Usagi against his chest. Neither realized that Usagi had her head buried in the crook of his neck, or that she was sobbing uncontrollably. Neither noticed that one, solitary blood-tear trickled down Mamoru's pallid cheek.  
It seemed as though Mamoru's head was in a whirl and his heart in a vice. The young girl in his arms was spilling her every emotion out to him, and he couldn't even begin to comprehend the hurricane of sensations writhing through his body. How Usagi had stormed into his life and flipped his whole world upside in less than three days was a concept Mamoru got a migrane just *thinking* about thinking about.  
"I'm sorry...!" Usagi cried. She grabbed onto Mamoru's waist tighter, not even realizing her fingernails were piercing his skin. Mamoru didn't bother to tell her. "I... I didn't mean for this to happen...!"  
Mamoru hastily wiped the dark red streak on his cheek away. The last thing he needed was for her to see him crying. Besides... Mamoru was afraid if he started he would never stop.  
"I didn't know that I was..." Usagi was starting to draw blood from Mamoru's waist. "I thought I just liked you... But then... When you told me not to get attached... I... I realized... it was too late..." Usagi slowly lifted her head off Mamoru's chest. She locked her tear-filled eyes with his own blood-shot ones. "I... I've fallen in l-"  
Usagi's back stiffened as Mamoru crushed his lips against hers. He gripped her arms tightly and pulled her closer to him. The blonde felt her eyelids droop as Mamoru softened the kiss. It was almost just a feathery brush now...  
Mamoru parted from Usagi a mere centimeter so their noses were still touching. He could taste her breath on his lips. It's was driving him mad.  
"Don't..." he whispered huskily. "Don't say it..."  
A flash of pain shot over Usagi's eyes. "Why...?"  
"Just... don't," he pleaded. "You... don't want to waste that on me..."  
Usagi blinked. "What...?"  
"Look, I'm only gonna be around for a few more days anyway..." Mamoru adverted his gaze, shrinking back from Usagi slowly. "After that, you're on your own."  
Usagi's heart sank. "Th-that's it...?" She brought her hands up to the lapels of his shirt and clung onto him. "Is that all I am to you? Just some... obligation?!"  
Mamoru winced inwardly. No, of course she wasn't! But... she couldn't know that...  
The vampire stood shakily, leaving Usagi cold and trembling on the ground. He gulped and desperately tried to blink away the red blurring in his eyes.  
"I'm sorry to get your hopes up," he replied hoarsely. Mamoru refused to meet her gaze. "I... I should go..."  
"No!" Usagi stumbled foward, still on her knees, grabbing onto Mamoru's hand. She sobbed once and leaned her forehead on his leg. "Please... don't..." The blonde sniffled, tugging on his arm slightly. "Just... Please, Mamoru... Just for tonight, can't you *pretend* you care...?"  
No, Mamoru groaned mentally. I can't *pretend* that I care. Because if I do I'll wind up spilling out my heart to you the way you just did to me...  
Mamoru pulled away reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow..."   
"Don't you care even the *tiniest* bit about me?!"  
She had no idea...   
"No."  
Mamoru had never felt this away about someone before, that was true. He wasn't even sure exactly what it was he was feeling. But Mamoru knew what a lie felt like, and it scared him.  
"THEN WHY DID YOU KISS ME?!" Usagi screeched. Her voice seemed to rip right out from her sore throat, raising itself up an octave. Her words stabbed at Mamoru's heart.  
"I..." Mamoru clenched his fists. "I don't know..."  
But, before Usagi could protest the vampire was out of sight.  
The blonde crumpled farther to the ground in a fit of sobs.  
  
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Author's Notes: o_O;; I'M SOOOOOOO SORRY THAT TOOK SO LONG TO GET OUT!! I've been grounded, and I still am, but my mom's out... ^_^;; Sorry sorry sorry!! I don't know when I'll get out the next chapter... But not for a LONG while... (two months maybe... or more o_O;;). I'm gonna try my hardest! Thank you so much everyone who have been reviewing me and reading this far (and putting up with my lack of chapters). I WUV YOU!!! 


	11. Chapter 10

Author's Notes: AHHHH!!! IT'S CHAPTER 10!!! FINALLY!!! My God, it's been forever! And guess why I'm writing this? I'm home sick!! Shocking, right? That's the only time I get to write... ^_^;; Don't expect Chapter 11 for a bit after this...   
  
Disclaimers: IT'S A CANOE!!!  
  
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Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 10  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
Rule #6: Don't get attached to anyone.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Usagi sniffled. She hastily ran the back of her hand over her eyes to wipe away her tears. She was cold. So, so cold... The blonde sneezed.  
"Excuse me...? Miss... Usagi is it?"  
Usagi jumped up into a standing position. She whipped around.  
The blonde blinked. A little fairy was floating a foot or so infront of her.  
"Uh... Yes...?" Usagi croaked nervously.  
The fairy giggled a flew away.  
"H-hey! Wait!" Usagi called, chasing after it. "What was that all about?!" she yelled at the retreating fairy.  
Usagi skidded to a halt as she came to clearing with a gigantic lake in the middle of it. The rising sun's beams danced off the water. A unicorn stood admist the rippling lake.  
Usagi took a shaky step foward, remembering the last unicorn she saw. The one with the black eyes...  
The blonde let out a sigh of relief. This unicorn's eyes were gold.   
"Uh, I... I'm sorry, if I'm intruding on your land..." Usagi's eyes skittered around nervously. "I was following a fairy and..."  
"That was my fairy."  
Usagi blinked. She looked to the unicorn. "Oh... Uh... Do you... uh..."  
"I sent her." The winged horse stepped out of the water. "I wanted to talk to you."  
"Um, about what?" Usagi asked hesitantly.  
"Mamoru."  
Her heart sank. "I'd rather not..."  
"He loves you, you know."  
Usagi gasped. "What? Uh, no, I'm sorry. You must have the wrong guy. He just told me early today he had no fellings about me what-so-ever."  
"He lied."   
Usagi leaned against a nearby tree. "What... What do you mean...?"  
"He told me, just an hour or so ago, that he loved you." The unicorn stretched his wings. "You see, I'm one of the very few creatures in this forest he gets along with. So, when he has a problem, he comes to me. And, well, he did, earlier." He paused and took a long look at Usagi. "I could hardly understand half the things he was saying at first, because he was sobbing so badly."  
Usagi's eyes widened.  
"Blood-tears streamed down his face. He buried his head in my side and mumbled many things that I couldn't comprehend." He turned to the side. A blood smear stained his coat of - otherwise - perfectly white hair. "The faires and I finally got him to calm down and tell us what happened."  
"He was very upset!" a little fairy squeaked, resting on Usagi's shoulder. "He said that you two got into a bit of a fight."  
Usagi bit her lip. She nodded.  
"He told us," another fairy began, "everything you had said to him."  
"He wished he could have said the same," The unicorn began again. "He said that he wanted to tell you how he felt so badly, but he didn't know exactly what he was feeling in the first place."  
"I asked him," the fairy on Usagi's shoulder started, "if he was in love, but he didn't know. 'How am I supposed to know what love feels like if I've never felt it?' he asked."  
"'Does you heart beat like crazy when you see her?' I asked him," the other fairy told Usagi. "He said yes. 'And does your head get all dizzy when you think about her?' He said yes again."  
Usagi's throat tightened. "He... really said yes?"  
The unicorn nodded. "I asked him that, if he had the choice, would he want to spend the rest of his life with you, and he replied yes, without even thinking about it."  
Tears welled up in Usagi's eyes. She took a shaky breath.  
"He said yes when I asked him if he wanted to take care of you no matter what."  
"And he said yes to me when I asked him if when he doesn't see you it hurts." The fairy on Usagi's shoulder smiled. "And he even said he can't sleep anymore because he thinks of you every minute."  
Usagi sobbed once. Her heart was summersaulting in her chest. Oh God, Mamoru! her mind cried. Why didn't you tell me?!  
"We told him," the unicorn informed the blonde, "that that was love. He just stood there dumbfounded. He gulped, looked around a bit, and then just dashed off. I don't know what he meant by that... But he defenitely loves you."  
Usagi was shaking all over. She could hardly see past her tears. The fairy on her shoulder flew off because of all the shaking the blonde was doing.  
"I don't know if he's in denial or something, but just don't tell him we told you all of this. He might not ever trust me again." The unicorn looked to Usagi for confirmation, but all he was met with was a blonde with pale skin, flushed cheeks, and drooping lids. Before he could even ask her what was wrong, she collapsed.  
  
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Author's Notes: HAHAHAHAHA!!! CLIFF HANGER!!! MWWWHHHHAAAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHAAAAAAA!!!!! At least you don't have to doubt Mamoru anymore! Yes, everyone, he loves her, as if you didn't know that already... But... WILL USAGI SURVIVE FOR HIM TO ACTUALLY TELL HER HIMSELF?! OR WILL HER EVIL TWIN SISTER ISABELLA GET TO HIM FIRST??!!! NEXT TIME ON: As Our Stomaches Churn... 


	12. Chapter 11

Author's Notes: OH MY GOD!! IT'S CHAPTER 11!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!   
  
Disclaimers: *does a dance*  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 11  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
Rule #6: Don't get attached to anyone.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Mamoru sighed wearily. His head was throbbing and his heart kept flipping in his chest. He felt so horrible for what he had said the night before but... how could he possibly tell her he loved her when he wasn't even sure?! But... after he visited his unicorn friend and all the faries in the Fary Tale Realm... After they had asked him all those questions...  
"Oh God..." Mamoru whispered to the sky. "Why, if I'm in love with her, does it hurt so much? Why can't I just go up to her and tell her how I feel like the way she did with me?"  
The vampire walked up to a cluster of trees. He knew that behind them would be the infamous clearing where Usagi spent her days in Heaven's Flames. He knew she'd be sitting there, asleep or awake, with his jacket over her shoulders. He also knew she would take one look at him and then immediately get up and walk away. He had hurt her *so* badly...  
Mamoru took a shaky breath and squeezed into the clearing. The site before him made his stomach lurch.  
Usagi was laying on the ground in a fetal position, chattering like crazy. She had Mamoru's jacket around her, clinging on it for dear life. Her whole body was flushed and sweaty, but she acted as though she was freezing cold...   
A fever.  
Mamoru hurriedly sat beside the shivering blonde. "Usagi...?" The vampire eyed her worriedly. "Usagi, are you all right...?"   
"Ma... mamo..." Usagi's breathing was raspy. "I... uh..."  
"Shhh..." Mamoru winced as Usagi rolled onto her back, her chest rising and falling quickly. Her lids were half closed and her face was flushed. "It's OK, Usagi. I'm here, you're gonna be OK." The raven-haried teen brushed her sweat-soaked bangs off her forehead and pressed his palm against her skin. "Jesus!" Mamoru hastily pulled away. "You're burning up!!"  
Usagi smiled weakly. "Funny... I'm... so c-cold..." The blonde squeezed her eyes shut and desperately tried to regulate her breathing.  
Mamoru pressed his lips against her forhead in a slight moment of weakness and cupped her flushed cheek in his palm.  
"I'm gonna bring you to my little 'home', OK, Usagi...? You can rest up there. All right?"  
Usagi nodded weakily, too delirious with fever to comprehend what was going on. She soon found herself being carried by Mamoru. She curled her body up against him to get more warmth. Just as she was about to drift off into another bout of fitful sleeping, Mamoru slowly rested her on her feet.  
"Can you stand?" He asked her softly. Usagi wasn't sure if she responded or not. Mamoru slipped and arm around her waist and squeezed her side the tiniest bit. The blonde's legs were trembling slightly, and she felt herself leaning on him for support. Mamoru brushed his lips against her temple. "I'm gonna get down on the ground, OK?" He whispered softly into her ear. "Get on my back."  
The vampire bent down and felt Usagi collapse slightly onto his back. Mamoru's heart was clenching tighter and tighter every second with worry. He dug into the ground in front of him and pushed it to the left. A hole with a ladder going down greeted his eyes.  
"Wh...where...?" Usagi breathed out. Mamoru could feel her heavy breathing on his neck. It made his heart hammer.  
"This goes down to my place. I needed somewhere that I could hide from the sun, so I made a little underground shelter for myself..." Mamoru began slowly climbing down the ladder, slipping his arms under Usagi's legs. "Hold on tight." The blonde's pressed her lips against Mamoru's neck to try to stop herself from chattering and held on as tight as her numbing body would let her.  
Mamoru's feet eventually reached the soil-floor of his little dwelling. The only thing the dug-out cave consisted of was a type of cot made out of branches and leaves packed down and covered with a blanket and a make-shift pillow, and soil. Lots and *lots* of soil.  
Usagi chuckled weakly. "What... no... c-coffin...?" Mamoru smiled, but it immediately faded after Usagi made a small moaning noise.  
"U-usagi?" the vampire asked, panick-stricken. He quickly laid her on the small bed and pulled the blankets over her. "Oh God, are you all right?"   
Usagi moaned again and rolled onto her side. She pulled the sheets tighter around her. "I'm... so... s-so... dizzy..."  
Mamoru's breathing was turning as ragged as Usagi's. He brushed his fingers along her flushed cheek and ran his fingers through her damp hair. He nibbled softly on his bottom lip and continued to caress the blonde's cheek.   
The thought of loosing her terrfied Mamoru. But... how was he supposed to take care of her, when he had no medicine to give her...? How was she supposed to get passed this flu if she had nothing to help her...?   
Mamoru prayed that Usagi's immune system was stronger than this.  
"Ma... Mamo... chan...?"  
Mamoru blinked. A heavy blush stained his cheeks. Mamo-chan? Did she really just call him Mamo-chan?  
A slow smile crept over his lips.  
"Yes...?" Mamoru paused to kiss her cheek. "What's wrong... Usako?"  
"I'm... cold..." Usagi slowly sat up, faltered slightly, and then tried again. Mamoru slipped his hand behind her back and helped her.   
"I know, Usa... And I'm sorry..." The raven-haired young man hugged her. "I just don't have any more blankets for you..." He slowly pulled away.  
Usagi stared at him sadly with half closed eyes. "No... d-don't pull... away..." She clutched weakly on his teeshirt. "You're... so warm..."  
Mamoru blinked. Warm? Oh God... Since when was a vampire warm...?  
"No, Usa... You're just a bit delusional with the fever and all..." Mamoru opened his mouth to speak again but was cut off as Usagi snuggled up against him. "Usa... You..."  
"Please..." Usagi stuttered. "Please... m-make me... warm..." She buried her head in the crook of his neck. "I... wanna... be warm... again..."  
Mamoru felt blood-tears welling up in his eyes. He tightened his hold around the small girl in his arms. He had never noticed before how fragile she was. Her body was so adorably small as she curled up against his chest. Mamoru noted just how pefectly she seemed to fit in his arms... And, God, how good it made him feel...  
Mamoru slowly pulled away despite Usagi's weak protests. The blonde reached out blindly in her feverish state to have him hold her again. Mamoru took her hand and brushed his lips against her fingers.  
"One second, Usa..." The vampire rested her hand on the bed. He pulled his teeshirt up over his head. "Move over a little bit OK?" he asked her softly.  
Usagi slowly did so, breath becoming more ragged. Mamoru crawled into the small bed next to the love of his life. He slid under the blanket and pulled Usagi down next to him. He rapped his teeshirt, sportsjacket, and the blanket around her, all while trying to give her his body heat.  
"Usako...?"   
Usagi made a light groan in response.  
"Wake up tomorrow morning, OK?"  
Mamoru looked down after a second of no response to see that she was already asleep.  
  
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Author's Notes: Hehehe... Cliff hangers... gotta love em... 


	13. Chapter 12

Author's Notes: Woohoo!! Chapter 12!   
  
Disclaimers: FANDANGO!  
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 12  
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
Rule #6: Don't get attached to anyone.  
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
It was official. Mamoru was going mad. He was using all the restraint in his body not to jump the feverish girl in his arms. She was pressed up against him, arms wrapped around his waist, her hot and quick breaths tickling his skin... and then... to make matters even *worse*... she had her head tilted to one side, the expanse of her neck clearly in the vampire's field-of-view.  
Mamoru gulped. All the other times he was around Usagi it was hard too. He could smell her blood within a five foot radius, but he had gotten used to it after the first day or so... But... now... Now that she was so close. So INCREDIBLY close...  
He sighed. Pressing his cold lips to her burning forehead, Mamoru slowly eased himself out of Usagi's arms and out of the bed. He had to go to the Fairy Tale Realm and find her some kind of medicine before she got any worse. Before she...  
Mamoru clamped his eyes shut. No, he wasn't going to think of that. She was going to be fine. Absolutely, positively --  
"Ma... moru...?"  
The said vampire gasped slightly in shock. He spun around to face a groggy Usagi.  
"Hi, there..." he managed out hoarsely. "I'm sorry to wake you, I was just --"  
"Where am I...?" Usagi's eyes darted around nervously. She was lying on her back, chest rising and falling heavily with forced breaths.  
She didn't remember... She didn't remember him finding her, or carrying her on his back, or... kissing her... Maybe it was best she didn't then...  
"You... um," Mamoru began to stutter, kneeling down on the floor next to the bed. "We're in my little... "home", I suppose you could call it." He resisted the urge to brush his hand against the confused blonde's cheek. "I found you shivering and with a fever yesterday and brought you here. I was just about to leave to get you some medicine..."  
"No..." Usagi moaned, desperately trying to reach out to him, "don't leave me here all alone..."  
Mamoru's heart clenched. "Dummy," he whispered hoarsely, "if I don't get you some medicine, you could die."  
Usagi flinched at how nonchalantly he said that. Never-the-less, she gripped onto his hand, semi-conciously noticing that he was bare-chested and that she was wearing his teeshirt and jacket.   
"Usa...gi," Mamoru hastily corrected himself. Right now wasn't the time to profess his feelings toward her... "I really need to go get you some medicine."  
"I don't want medicine," the blonde cried out weakly, voice rising. "I want you...!" She coughed a few times at the strain in her throat and chest. Her voice lowered again. "Please, Mamoru..."  
"Don't be an idiot!!"  
Usagi gasped in suprise, staring into the icy glare that was directed on her. She bit her lip and desperately tried to hold back another cough. Her vision blurred slightly, but she could still see Mamoru's harsh gaze on her.  
"Let me go." Mamoru's eyes softened the tiniest bit. He didn't want to be so cruel to her, especially when she was sick and wanted him by her side, but... being ruthless seemed to work anyother time he needed to knock some sense into the girl.  
"No!" the blonde's grip on him tightened stubbornly. "Please, don't leave me!!" She couldn't even see him now. All he consisted of was a blur. Her whole entire world was spinning. "I don't want to be alone..." Usagi could feel her tongue going numb. She wondered if the previous sentence even came out properly.   
Usagi opened her mouth to protest again, but was interrupted by a hacking cough. It seemed to rip right up from her burning lungs, tear through her worn esophagus, and burst from her chaped lips. Her hands immediately flew from Mamoru's and hovered over her mouth. The coughs racked her small frame causing her to writhe and wheeze. Mamoru watched on in horror as the girl before him, the seventeen year old whom he thought was so lively and could overcome anything, was lying weakly on his bed, tossing in pain. Just as Mamoru was about to reach out to her, the coughs began to subside. That's when the coppery taste filled Usagi's mouth.  
Blood dribbled down her chin.  
Mamoru's stomach lurched. Not only was the smell overpowering to his vampiric senses, but her to have been coughing so much as to make herself bleed? Or... was it something more dangerous...? Was she bleeding internally...?  
"Dammit, Usagi!" Mamoru spat. He quickly rose from the bed and spun on his heel. Just as he was about to go run up the ladder to leave for the Fairy Tale Realm, Usagi called out to him.  
"It won't work!" the blonde sobbed. Hot tears made there way down flushed cheeks. "Mamoru... What makes you think that you can find a medicine for me...?"   
Mamoru had yet to turn to face her, but was motionless.   
"What if I died while you were gone?!"  
The vampire gasped.   
"No!" he cried, spinning around. "No, Usagi, don't you dare!" His eyes were wild and his fists were clenched. "Don't you dare go around harassing me for the past week and then just die while I'm gone!"  
Usagi didn't know whether she should laugh or cry some more. Did he mean that as if she was just some kind of pest to him? Or was he just using that as a cover for something more sincere...?  
"I'm not afraid... to die..."  
Mamoru blinked.   
"Wh-what...?"  
"I'm not... Really..."  
The vampire trembled. Was she truely not afraid...? Did she laugh in the face of death, when he was terrfied? When he had giving his blood... just to win an unnatural battle against it?  
Mamoru desperately tried to push away the memories of six years ago when he was attacked. And when he was turned into the creature he was today...  
"I'm going now." He some how managed to keep his voice from wavering.  
"I am afraid of one thing though, Mamoru..."  
The raven haired man stared at Usagi in curiousity. His stomach flipped for reasons he didn't know.  
"I'm not afraid of dying... But I am... afraid to die alone..." Usagi's eyes filled with crystaline tears. One solitary drop of salt water spilled over onto her cheek. Her bottom lip was trembling, although it was clear she was trying to hide it. "So... please..." Her voice cracked. "Please don't leave me alone...!"  
Mamoru felt blood filling his mouth at a dramatic rate as he chomped down on his tongue to keep from crying. All of his muscles were tightened to the extent that they were screaming in pain. He blinked away the threatening blur of red that filled in his eyes. He wanted to say something, anything, but he couldn't even breath past the lump in his throat. Thank God he couldn't die from lack of air...  
Usagi clung on to Mamoru's make-shift pillow, which was actually much softer that she had thought it to be. The blonde buried her head in the pillow and sobbed harder. Harsh coughs interrupted her crying every few seconds. Her nose ceased to run despite how many times she sniffled. She clamped her eyes down tight, trying to block out the psychedelic colors of fever that was invading her sight.   
It was just too much...  
Usagi heard shuffling and the sound of footsteps. She hestitantly lifted her head and opened her eyes.   
Mamoru was gone.  
The opening to above ground had barely even been covered. He must have been in quite the hurry to get out of there...  
"DAMN YOU!!" Usagi screamed as loud as she could, cursing not only Mamoru, but the unicorn/pegasus in the Fairy Tale Realm that told her the the vampire was in love with her. She would have screamed all the curses she knew, but was too overcome with coughing and wheezing.   
Her head was spinning...  
She silently prayed that she *would* die while Mamoru was gone.  
On one of the soil walls Mamoru had scraped in with a finger a message. It read:   
DON'T YOU DARE!   
  
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Author's Notes: That took me forever to write... ¬_¬ Mamoru's such a meanie... ^_^ Hehe, I'm so evil...! Well, I hope to get the next chapter out much sooner next time... o_O;; Enjoy! I'm on to write Satsugaisha! 


	14. Chapter 13

Author's Notes: It's 9:00 PM and I just got a sudden urge to write some of this... *shrugs* I'm insane, I know... ^_^;;   
  
Disclaimers: I don't own Sailor Moon... Blah Blah... But I DO own this story! So don't copy it cuz it's copyrighted (seriously, it is)!  
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 13   
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
Rule #6: Don't get attached to anyone.  
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Mamoru drummed his fingers nervously against the little pouch he held. Inside, he hoped, was the cure for Usagi. That faries had to make the small berries from scratch and it had taken *much* longer than Mamoru had hoped.  
He quickened his pace.  
The vampire's heart was pounding. What if... What if she *had* she died...?  
"No!" Mamoru bit out. "She's stronger than that..."   
But, if she really *was* bleeding internaly... Then...  
"Oh God..."  
Mamoru froze in his steps for a minute. What if she had... And she was all alone...? And...!  
Usagi's words ricocheted throughout Mamoru's mind.  
'I'm not afraid of dying... But I am... afraid to die alone...'  
Mamoru had never ran so fast in his life.  
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Usagi moaned. Someone was shaking her shoulder.  
"Go away..." she managed hoarsely.  
The shaking persisted.  
"Usagi, come on... Open your eyes..."  
It's was Mamoru's voice...  
Usagi noted he sounded slightly annoyed... but there was something else... relieved was it?  
The blonde moaned again. She rolled onto her back, erupting a small cough from her lips. She slowly let her eyes flutter open.  
Mamoru was leaning over her, a smile gracing his lips. Yes, relieved was definately the word...  
Usagi wanted to sit up and throw her arms around him. She wanted to drag him down onto the bed with her and kiss him senless.  
"I'm not talking to you," the blonde spat. Being cruel always worked, too...  
Her throat was raw, and she was positive that her voice sounded incredibly raspy.  
The vampire blinked. His smile didn't falter long, however. Infact, it came back even happier than before and a chuckle came along with it.  
"Damn you, Mamoru!" Usagi cried out, causing a short chain of coughs. "How... can you sit there... and laugh...?!" she reprimanded breathlessly.  
The raven haired man's face softened. "I'm just glad you're all right."  
"Oh?" Usagi replied disbelievingly."Are you so relieved that I'm still actually alive?" She scoffed. "Please, you left me here, when I begged you not to. Am I actually supposed to think you *care*?!"  
Mamoru gulped. It was true but... He did it to get her medicine! He stood up in slight agitation and tossed the pouch to her. He turned around and sat down in one of the corners of the soil dwelling they both occupied and began opening a backpack Usagi hadn't noticed earlier.  
"What is this...?" the blonde asked, voice raspy.  
"The medicine I got for you." Mamoru continued fumbling through the bag. "You better appreciate it. The faries had to make it especially for you."  
Usagi coughed, as if finalizing this statement. She weakly picked up the small pouch and eyed it incredulously.  
"Well, it better be worth it since it took you *hours* to get back..."  
"You're so ungrateful!" Mamoru snapped. "Christ, I was just trying to help!"  
"Since when...?" Usagi moaned slightly and held her head. The pschydelic colors flashing through her mind didn't stop her from reprimanding the vampire a few feet away, however. "Just the other day you said you didn't care about me in the slightest..." She tried to sit up, but fell back down. She was just to dizzy, weak, and cold to do anything...  
"Just shut up and take the damn medicine!" Mamoru finally pulled a black sketch book out of his bag and flipped a little more than halfway through it.   
"If I had enough strength," Usagi groaned, "I'd come over there and slap you."  
"Well, you don't," Mamoru glared at her, "so stop being bitching and take the medicine."  
Usagi couldn't even see him anymore past the colors of feverish hallucination and the blurring of her tear-filled eyes. She couldn't breath through her nose, due to how incredibly stuffy it was, and the lump in her throat was strangling her as well.   
Mamoru was about to open his mouth to, rather rudely, ask her why the hell she hadn't taken the medicine yet, but stopped as she began hacking. His eyes widened in a mixture of fear and sympathy; fear to see the blood again, and sympathy to see her in so much pain.  
Usagi rolled over onto her side, coughing terrible. It made her whole body scream in pain. She nearly fell off the bed from all the thrashing about and her delirious state.  
It was just too much.  
Mamoru clenched his fists. The blood was spurting out of her mouth now, instead of just dribbling innocently like before. It had gotten so much worse while he was gone...  
"God dammit, Usagi!!!" Mamoru screeched, voice going up slightly. "Would you take the friggin' medicine already?! You're gonna kill yourself!!!"  
Usagi blinked past the tears making their way down her cheeks and the eccentric colors invading her mind. She could barely make out Mamoru's outline, but she could tell that he was next her now. She could hardly feel his hands gripping on to her shoulders past all the numbess, but she knew that he was. It made her heart skip.  
"Usagi, you're such a stubborn jackass!!" Mamoru clenched his jaw and furrowed his brow. "Stop being such a moron! Take the medicine!!"  
"Mamoru..." Usagi's voice didn't even sound like her own anymore... It was raw, yet gurgly from all the blood... It sounded so... inhuman...  
"Shhhh..." Mamoru pressed a finger to her bloody lips. "Don't talk," he whispered gently. Screaming at her wasn't going to help any... "Please, Usagi, just take the medicine... You don't want to die, do you...?"  
Usagi whimpered. Did she want to die? Well... no, not necessarily... but... if Mamoru was going to stop protecing her now that the week was pracitcally up... and if he didn't care then...  
"Yes..."  
The raven-haired teen blinked. "'Yes' what...?" Surely she didn't mean...  
"Yes, I want to die..."   
Mamoru nearly gagged.  
Usagi felt another hot tear make its way down her numb cheek. She adverted her gaze slightly. She couldn't look at him like that... Not when his eyes were so wide, staring into her very soul... Not when he seemed so dissapointed in her like that...  
"Usagi..." the vampire whispered in shock. "You...? Why do you...?"  
"Why wouldn't I...?!" she cried. "I'm stuck here, in this horrible video game...!! And I'm in love with a guy... who... who...!" Usagi broke down into sob after sob, sometimes erupting a cough or two. Her frame shook tremedously.  
Mamoru blinked away the red of his blood-tears that was blurring his vision. Oh God... was she really *that* miserable...?   
The vampire shook his head. Now wasn't the time for that... The most important thing was to get her to take the medicine. Then... then once she was better... then he would make it up to her...  
"Usagi, please..." he pleaded. "Take the medicine... *please*..."   
Usagi's sobs subsided a bit. She managed to gain enough control of her tears and the blood seeping from her mouth to shake her head and mumble a "no".  
Mamoru was fed up. Whether she wanted to or not, he would *make* her take the medicine, so help him God.  
Mamoru grabbed the pouch from the blonde's trembling and frail hands. He hastily opened it and let the six berry-like objects roll out into his palm.  
"You're taking this." It's was a statement that even Usagi dared not fight back against. "Open your mouth."  
Usagi weakly parted her chaped lips. Mamoru was grateful that he had something to eat while he was the medicine from the faries. Otherwise, he might not have been able to control himself at the sight and smell of the blood that ruptured from the blonde's throat.   
Mamoru popped one of the berries into her mouth. Usagi desperately tried to chew it, but it seem as though she was trying to grind a rock. She was just too weak....  
Usagi coughed once and spit the berry out into her hand.  
"Mamoru..." she moaned. "I can't-"  
"Yes, you *can*," he growled. "Chew it," Mamoru ordered, putting the berry back in her mouth.  
Usagi tried, but failed again. Her numb tongue made the berry seem three times it's size. It was too hard...  
She spit it out again.  
Mamoru sighed in exasperation, taking the berry form her. "Fine," he grumbled.   
The vampire popped the berry ito his own mouth and chewed on it longer than needed, that way there would be no excuses...  
Usagi blinked slightly in suprise. Despite her blurred vision, she could see what he was doing. Why was he...?  
Before Usagi could finish her thought Mamoru was bent over her, mouth pressed against her own. The blonde's lips parted in suprise. She felt a tangy juice fill her mouth.  
He was feeding her the medicine...  
New tears resurfaced in Usagi's eyes.  
Mamoru slowly pulled away, despite his body's protest. He sat up fully, slightly blushing, and began chewing on another berry.  
It took Usagi three tries before she could swallow the medicine properly. A small cough made it's way out.   
It all hurt so bad. The coughing, the painful numbness... the fact that Mamoru was kissing her, and yet making it into a chore... That's what hurt the most.  
Mamoru's lips were against hers again. His body felt buring hot against hers. It felt so hot it almost hurt.  
Usagi reluctantly opened her mouth for the juice to flow in. Once it did, Mamoru pulled away, Usagi swallowed, and they repeated the process.  
To Usagi it seemed like the berries would never end. How she wished this would finish up...  
Mamoru pulled away after another berry. Usagi swallowed and turned her head away. He watched her in confusion for a moment. Then, he noticed it... There were tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.   
His heart clenched.  
Usagi was trying so hard not to cry, but it was just too much.  
The blonde felt Mamoru's fingers under her chin. He tilted her head to face him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against her own for the millionth time. Usagi prayed that it was the last one. She opened her mouth expectantly.  
The juice didn't come.  
Instead, Mamoru's tongue darted in.  
Usagi's eyes flew open.   
He was... kissing her...?!  
  
  
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Author's Notes: (it's six days later form when I started writing this...) Well, ladies and gentlemen... THAT SUCKED!! WOOHOO!! 


	15. Chapter 14

**Author's Notes: OH MY GOD!!! IT'S BEEN SOOOO LONG!! I'M SORRY!!! But, guess why I'm writing this? CUZ I'M SICK!!! Well, THERE'S a shocker, eh? This chapter is gonna be SOOOOOOOOOO short, but I just wanted to do it so you people had something to hold you over. I'm REALLY sorry, but I don't get home from school till 9:00 PM cuz I work on BOTH of the school plays (Middle School and High School) at the same time. Maybe I'll have out another chapter soon, but I doubt it. It'll probably be done by Christmas vacation… Thank you everyone for your support, and for not decapitating me just yet. Look, Blue, I'm writing!!**

  
**Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon. Is that blunt enough for you?  
  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
****Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 14**

**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

  
Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
Rule #6: Don't get attached to anyone.  
  


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________****

  
  


Usagi's heart was pounding much too fast. To have your heart nearly cracking your rib cage couldn't be healthy…

Mamoru shifted himself slightly so he wasn't crushing the trembling blonde beneath him. He balanced himself with a hand on either side of her. He pressed his mouth down harder on hers, deepening the kiss. 

Usagi's body shook from the passion Mamoru was pouring into her. Her whole body, inside and out, was quivering with excitement, surprise and… utter love.

The feeling soon came back to her numb body and she felt herself leaning into Mamoru's kiss. She never wanted to let go… It was just like heaven…

Just as she had imagined it to be.

But, she had to part, eventually. Her stuffy nose wasn't enabling her to breathe anyway but her mouth, and with Mamoru's tongue dancing with her own, that was kind of hard to do.

As if sensing this, Mamoru very slowly began to pull away, leaving their mouths open in abandonment, heavy breaths rushing past their lips, and their bodies craving for more.

"Mamoru…" she managed out, voice still strained and sickly. Usagi sighed against him. She let her head fall back into the pillow more comfortably. She hadn't even noticed she had craned her neck up to get better access to Mamoru's kiss.

His eyes were soft, smiling down on her kindly. Those gorgeous blue eyes that Usagi could stare into all day… 

Mamoru brushed his thumb along her cheek and slowly sat up. He shifted slightly and past a fleeting glance over her lips once more. He stood from his position on the bed, but kept himself facing her. He tucked his shirt, jacket, and blanket around her more tightly. 

Usagi reached out her arm, brushing her fingers lightly against his naked chest. Mamoru shuddered against the feathery touch. He brought his hand up over hers, resting her palm flat on his left breast. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her fingertips.

A slow smile graced his bloodless lips. Usagi wondered how he could be a dead corpse, yet able to move, and have a heartbeat and _feel. It was so amazing and…__ impossible in a way. But, what did it matter?_

But then… Then came the fear. The fear that this was just another one of those moments were Mamoru did something completely irrational and romantic, got Usagi's hopes up, and then tore out her very heart. Just another one of those times when she had finally thought he had begun to care, but then was rudely mistaken. Another time… when she would be reverted to tears… 

Usagi could feel a cough rising up her raspy throat.  She furrowed her brow in futile attempt and tried desperately to swallow it down. However, the clawing of it in her chest was just too much. She hunched her back a bit, hand flying to her mouth to cover the hacking cough. Hopefully the medicine would kick in soon…

Mamoru cringed. He placed her hand down onto the bed next to her hacking body. Smiling tenderly, he rested his hand on her forehead. She still had a hell of a fever…

"It's OK," he whispered. "Shhh… You're going to be OK." He gulped. "You'll see…" he finished unsurely.

Usagi managed a weak smile. Her muscles relaxed as the cough died down. She nodded numbly.

If only this tenderness would last…

The vampire leaned down and brushed his bloodless lips along her forehead. He pulled away slightly, their faces mere millimeters apart. His head began to pound.

"Go to sleep," he ordered gently. "And when you wake up, I'm sure the medicine will have kicked in." He kissed her flushed cheek. "I'll stay here, right beside you…" Mamoru nuzzled softly into the crook of her neck, forgetting all vampire habits, kissing along her jaw. 

Usagi's breath became shallower than it already was. Her head was spinning, her stomach experiencing an aerial ballet of butterflies. She bit back a pleasurable moan as Mamoru continued teasing her jaw line and neck. A small giggle erupted past her lips.

"I think… That if you want me to go to sleep, you're going to have to stop biting my neck," Usagi chided laughingly. Mamoru flushed and slowly pulled back.

"Believe me, Usa," he replied, pleased with the blush that graced her cheeks at the nickname, "If I was _biting your neck, you'd know." He grinned, his fangs clearly visible._

Usagi smiled, coughing slightly. She sniffled and then coughed again. She opened her mouth to respond, but Mamoru pressed his fingers against her lips to quiet her.

"Just go to sleep, all right?" He removed his fingers from her lips, replacing them with his own lips.

Usagi's heart sped up. The kiss ended as quickly as it had begun, leaving her lips and previously abandoned neck tingling. She could tell her face was flushed, and not just from the fever. 

"Sleep well," Mamoru murmured, pulling away from her fully. "Feel better."

Usagi nodded. She wrapped Mamoru's clothes around her more fully and let her eyes flutter close. Without even realizing it she managed out an "I love you… Mamo-chan…" before drifting off into sleep.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            Mamoru twirled his pencil with his fingers. He stared intently at the black sketchbook before him, deciding what he should add to the picture next. He rummaged through his tattered bag that lay next to him. The same bag that he had brought with him six years ago… The same pencils, the same sketchpads… His goal to be an artist was a lost one, now, but that didn't mean he wouldn't stop doing it just for fun.

            After all, he had all of eternity ahead of him.

            Mamoru pulled a short, overused eraser from his bag. He was about to correct one of his stray lines when his attention snapped back to the sleeping girl in his bed. 

            Usagi tossed onto her side and groaned, fitfully sleeping. Her blonde hair, loose from its odango, stuck to her sweat licked body. Her breathing was heavy, and raspy. Somewhere along the lines she had kicked away the coat, tee-shirt, and blanket. Her clothes stuck to her in a wrinkled mess, midriff clearly shown.

            Mamoru eyed her carefully. He was worried, without a doubt. It had been 3 hours now and she didn't seem to be improving any.

            Mamoru gulped.

            What if the medicine wasn't going to work…

            What if--

            Mamoru's thought were cut short as Usagi stopped tossing in the bed. 

            The vampire's eyes widened.

            She stopped moving.

            She stopped breathing.

            And Mamoru's heart stopped as well.  
              
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**Author's Notes: MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! IT'S OVER!!!! Well, this chapter is, at least. Woo..!! Took me long enough, eh? Have fun, guys! Maybe I'll go write some _No Way Out. Will that make you all happy? Yeah?! WELL IT BETTER DAMNIT!!!! -_-;; Ahem… Yes… Well… Bai…_**


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes: It has been three months since I last wrote a chapter… Holy crap… But, I'm here! And I'm writing!! Woohoo!! Now you can all see if she really died or not… And if she did (mwhaha) how Mamo-chan dear deals with it… Hehe…**

  
**Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah… Take it up with my lawyer…  
  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
****Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 15**

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  
Rule #1: Find yourself a place to hide and stay there.   
  
Rule #2: Don't piss off the vampire.  
  
Rule #3: Keep your mouth shut.  
  
Rule #4: Stay away from anything with black eyes.  
  
Rule #5: If you need help, only go to the fairies.  
  
Rule #6: Don't get attached to anyone. 

  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Usako!"

            Mamoru jumped up, his book and pencils scattering themselves on the floor. He stumbled over to the bed, eyes wide, heart hammering. 

            _No, no, no!! This can't be happening!!_

            He grabbed the still girl by her shoulders and shook her. "Usako!!" His vision was blurring with blood-tears. "No…! Usako, wake up!!"

            "Jesus, Mamo-chan… What the hell is your problem…?"

            Mamoru heart skipped a beat. 

            Usagi slowly opened her eyes, yawning lazily. She glared at him sleepily. "What are you screaming for…?"

            The said vampire was frozen in shock. He was just staring at the blonde, eyes impossibly wide, mouth agape. His hands shook uncontrollably. She… she was OK… She wasn't dead… 

Realization slowly dawned on Mamoru. It was the medicine! Figures it wouldn't work like normal medications. She suffered for a bit more after she took it and then _blam__! she was cured! She had never stopped breathing, she had just left her sickened state so quickly Mamoru thought she had stopped!_

"Mamo-chan?" Usagi eyed him in concern. She reached out to touch his naked chest. "Are you OK?"

The pent up blood-tears made their way down his pale cheeks. They fell slowly at first, just one or two here and there. But then Mamoru felt the brunt of that past few minutes. He had nearly lost her… He had nearly lost the love of his life before he even got the chance to tell her how much he cared for her...

Usagi was in his arms in an instant. She gasped, not fully grasping what was happening. All she knew is that Mamoru had woken her up like a madman, and had just swept her into his arms. And now… Now he was sobbing uncontrollably into the crook of her neck.

Usagi very slowly brought her arms around his waist, gently rubbing up and down his back. She held him tenderly, unsure of what to do. She rocked slowly back and forth in an attempt to sooth him. 

"Oh God, Usako…!" Mamoru choked out between sobs. "I… I was so scared…!! I thought… I thought I lost you…!" He held on to her tighter, unable to stop the tears.

"Shhh…" the blonde whispered in his ear. He shuddered at the feel of her breath dancing on his skin. "It's OK… I'm OK…" She kissed his temple gingerly. "You didn't loose me… I'm right here…" Usagi pulled away slightly. Mamoru scrubbed away his tears with the back of his hand. He hesitantly made eye contact with her. "See?" Usagi smiled lovingly.

Mamoru trailed his fingertips from where they rested on her waist up her arms, over her shoulders, up her neck, and to her flushed cheeks. He brushed his thumbs over her slightly parted lips. She let out a trembling breath. Usagi brought her hands to rest over his. She smiled shakily. 

"I thought you died…" Mamoru murmured. He wasn't crying anymore, but his eyes were still bloodshot. "Please, Usako," he pleaded, "please don't ever leave me…"

Her hands followed Mamoru's as they slipped down to her shoulders. She leaned towards him unsurely, brushing her lips against his. Her eyes shone brilliantly with tears.

"Never." She kissed him again. "I'll never," another kiss, "ever leave you…" She leaned in one more time, teased his lips with her own, and then slowly began to pull away.

Mamoru followed her retreating lips, refusing to let this moment be so innocent. He was finally going to confess his love towards her, and he wasn't going to let all the built up passion he had stored for her go to waste.

Usagi squealed with delight as Mamoru crushed her body against his, kissing her fervently. She giggled against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. He kissed her over and over again, hands traveling up and down her spine and sides.

"I love you," Mamoru sighed in a rush. Usagi's gasp of joy was cut off by another kiss. A tear fell from her eye. "I love you." He kissed her cheek, "I love you," he kissed her nose, "I love you," a kiss on her forehead, "I love you," kissing her other cheek. "I love you," down her jaw, "I love you…" a trail of kisses down her neck. He could feel the blood-tears resurfacing. "I love you a million times, and I'll kiss you a million times…" Mamoru leaned his forehead against Usagi's. They were both crying now. "I'll do anything to make up all the pain I caused you…"

Usagi grinned through her tears. "I'm going to hold you to that."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes: Shortest chapter ever… There's a reason for that… You see, I know all you dear readers have been DYING *cough cough* for another chapter, so when I got writer's block at that last line I decided I would end it there. It's a bit of a tease, I know. I'm hoping to get out another chapter sometime on Thursday. I didn't want to just sit here with this much written, trying desperately to word the next scene for a million years. So, I'm posting this now and then I'll suffer later. I'm bouncing so I can go start the Heaven's Flames comic. Yes, that's right. There's a comic… Hehe… E-mail me for more info if ya want. OxMamochan4evaxO@msn.com **


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Notes: Wow… Three months later I FINALLY update… Guys, I'm sorry… I got caught up in the comic, ^_^;; (Will be updated later today).  
**  
Disclaimer**: What the hell do you think?  
  
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**

  
**Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 16**

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            Mamoru crinkled up his nose, the blades in grass before him tickling the blasted appendage. He couldn't risk brushing the grass away, lest his prey might sense his presence. The vampire crouched down father, leaning forward, readying himself for a leap. He grinned, fangs shimmering in the moonlight.

            Mamoru watched the figure carefully. Any second now… He just needed to wait until his soon-to-be-meal pulled away from HIS (well, his and Usagi's) spring. If he was to attack now, his prey and he would be thrown into the water, and it might prove to be hard to get a bite in…

            Any second…

            Mamoru tensed.

            Any second…

            If being a vampire taught him anything, it was patience when it came to attacking. (Unfortunately, the same can't be said for his patience with LIVING creatures.)

            The vampire crinkled his nose again…

            Wait for it…

            He blinked.

            Now!

            Mamoru sprung like a tiger about to pounce on it's dinner…

            And was thrown to the ground.

            His eyes closed in slight pain as he made impact with the ground. What the hell had happened here?!

            Mamoru's eyes shot open at the feel of something cool pressed against his forehead and a soft click.

            A gun.

            Mamoru stared up at the gun-wielding figure in shock. It was… a HUMAN?! He mentally kicked himself for not realizing that sooner… He _hated drinking from humans… It made him feel more animalistic than he already was._

            But…

            How the hell did this HUMAN sense him and knock him right out of the air?!!

            The vampire gritted his teeth. The pain from the rough landing dissipated a while ago… But the bruise in his ego remained. How could he be so careless?!

            "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" barked the _former "soon-to-be-meal."_

            Mamoru jerked away from the gun and leapt up with the grace of a cat, landing back on his feet without a sound. 

            "I could ask you the same thing," the raven-haired vampire replied. "How the hell did you know I was about to jump on you?"

            The man smirked. "I have good reflexes." He jerked the hand holding the gun quickly to the spring. "Besides," he added, returning the gun to point at Mamoru, "I could see your reflection in the water."

            Mamoru cursed the fact that a vampire not having a reflection was a mere myth. He quickly covered up his embarrassment with a cocky grin. His fangs flashed again. "Oh well. One learns from their mistakes."

            The man took a shaky step backwards. It took Mamoru a moment to realize that the man must of seen his fangs… After all, it was dark, and the man probably wasn't able to notice how incredibly pale Mamoru was, or the purple under his eyes. He took the chance to tease the man.

            "What's wrong?" Mamoru took a step closer, mockingly. "Did you finally realize my intentions for trying to pounce on you?"

            The man gulped. "Your… a… vampire…." He gripped his gun with both hands, but continued to shake.

            "Yes, but I prefer Mamoru." The said vampire bowed curtly. "Don't worry, I didn't realize you were human. You're pretty much safe when dealing with me at least. I don't like humans." He cocked a curious eyebrow. "Are you another victim of the game?"

            The man sniffed. "More or less…" He dropped one hand from the trembling gun and reached into the navy-blue blazer he wore. The movements of the cloth made the moon's glare on the man's black shirt pierce Mamoru's sensitive eyes. "Here," he said, pulling out a wallet. He flipped it open, the moonlight shimmering magnificently, yet painfully, on a NYPD badge. 

            Mamoru squinted to make it out. Sometimes having such responsive senses was a blessing… At times like this, when the moon was at it's fullest, it was a curse. He finally made out what the object was. At least the guy was Japanese; otherwise Mamoru would have to test out his shoddy, and never-been-used, English. He grinned. 

            "So, the police FINALLY figured it out, huh?" He stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. Usagi was currently sporting his jacket… "Took you guys long enough… I suppose my – I mean, Mr. Chiba Hiroshi, is the one taking care of the problem?" It had to be. Who else would be in New York handling this? He must be at his Manhattan office…

            The man nodded, long black hair in a ponytail swaying in the wind. His blue eyes glimmered. "Yes his is, _Mamoru_," the man replied, a bite in his voice.

            Mamoru cocked a curious eyebrow. This man must have made the connection between himself and his father. He frowned. "And what's your name, then?"

            The man pushed the badge out farther as an answer.      Mamoru squinted once more to read the name.

            Kou Seiya.

              
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**Author's Notes**: Mwhahahaha… Do I deserve the title as EVIL yet?! Bwahahahahaha… It's short, I know… But… LIVE WITH IT! Hehehehe… XD


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's Notes: Woo, a new chapter so soon? What am I on?!  
**  
Disclaimer**: Take it out with my middle finger, ^_^  
  
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**

  
**Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 17**

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            Mamoru was nibbling on his bottom lip anxiously. The man before him – Seiya, Mamoru reminded himself – was beginning to blur. The vampire hadn't drunken in a while now since he had been so busy tending to Usagi. He absent-mindedly wondered where she was right now…

            "Can I ask you some questions?" The voice seemed foggy in Mamoru's ears. He slowly lifted his head. This wasn't good… If he didn't get something to drink soon… But not from Seiya… no way…

            "Y-yeah…" Mamoru shifted in his seat on a boulder. "What…?"

            "Look at these." Seiya held out a small stack of photos. Mamoru took them skeptically. "Those are victims of the game. Do you know any of them…?"

            The vampire weakly looked through the pictures. The first one: "No". The second: "This one's dead - committed suicide a while ago". At the third picture Mamoru froze. He knew that face… Bringing the picture up closer to his faint eyes recognition dawned on him. This was the girl he had bitten a while back… The meal where he had met Usagi for the first time… He quickly went on to the next picture mumbling "this one's dead, too". Seiya sighed in exasperation.

            "Are there any ones alive at all?!" the officer cried, running a hand through his long ponytail.

            "Well," Mamoru grumbled, looking the rest through, "I've never seen these two before…" The vampire handed Seiya the pictures he was just referring to. The only two remaining pictures in his hands were one of Usagi and one of another boy. Mamoru didn't move.

            Seiya pocketed the two pictures. "And those other two?" he inquired, look over Mamoru's shoulder at them.

            Mamoru handed him the picture of Usagi. "She's alive." 

            Seiya beamed. "Really?! Do you know where she is?" Mamoru shook his head. It's true; he really didn't know where she currently was… 

            The raven haired vamp stared at picture the last picture, eyes unwavering. He brushed away the feeling and threw the photo at Seiya. "That one's dead, too," he bit out.

            "But—"

            "I said he's dead," Mamoru snapped. He stood from his seat, nearly falling over. Mamoru leaned on a nearby tree for support and walked off as sturdily as possible, leaving the police officer behind.

            Seiya looked down at the picture of a fourteen year old boy with black hair that hung in his deep blue eyes. "But…" Seiya whispered, "that's you…" 

              
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            Mamoru sighed. He rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth, removing any traces of blood that his meal had left over. Physically he felt much better now… But mentally he seemed to be wounded…

            How guilty he felt for pretending like he barely knew Usagi! He was being selfish… Apparently Seiya was there to take the children home, and Mamoru had just wanted to keep his lover all for himself!

            And how sick he felt after seeing that picture of himself… How disturbed he was to have to say that the boy in the picture was dead and has been dead for the past 6 years…

            And how animalistic he felt for the feeling of terror that he had spurred in the officer. It wasn't obvious to a normal human in the slightest, but Mamoru could smell fear, and Seiya reeked of it. He was a vampire… a beast that ripped open another's neck to feed… And had Seiya not noticed him it would have been too late…

            For the first time in a while Mamoru was sickened with himself… 

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            There he sat, leaning against a tree, eyes closed painfully. He played his tongue across a fang subconsciously, the small cuts he made healing before he could even feel it. 

            He hadn't seen Usagi all day… He had left her sleeping form the second the sun set to fulfill his hunger, but now he had been gone for a good two or three hours… He wanted to see her, it always made him feel better, but something told him that this time it would make him feel worse…

            Mamoru's eyes shot open as he felt something round get pushed between his blood-stained lips. Usagi was kneeling before him, a childish grin on her face, pushing a small berry into his mouth. How the hell had he not heard her or smelt her approaching?! He must have been drowning too much in self misery to notice…

            Usagi giggled. "Hello there, Mamo-chan!" She sat back on her haunches. "Tell me if that's poisonous, okay?" 

            Mamoru quickly adverted his eyes, chewed, and swallowed. He couldn't look at her… Not when he nearly blew her chance at getting home…

            The blonde cocked her head to one side, watching her lover suspiciously. "You OK..?"

            Mamoru's spine straightened visibly. He quickly turned to her, making a hesitant eye contact. "I… Y-yeah, I'm fine…" Usagi leaned in closer to him, nose brushing his, eyes searching.

            "That wasn't poisonous, was it? Is it hurting you? You don't look too good…"

            The vampire felt a grin tug at his lips. "I'm fine, and so are the berries, I think." He couldn't resist it any longer… He tilted his head to one side and playfully nipped at Usagi's bottom lip causing her to giggle. He soon found her leaning into him and him kissing her more fully.

            If she left… If she went home… 

            Mamoru's kisses became more desperate.

            If she was to leave him behind… 

            He pulled her closer.

            There was no way he'd be able to go with her… Not as a vampire…

            He nearly whimpered.

            Would he be able to handle that?

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**Author's Notes**: A very Mamoru-based chapter, ^_^ But who doesn't love those? Hehe. Well, yes, it was short, but I wanted to get this up and posted, ^_^; Remember: REVIEW!


	19. Chapter 18

**Author's Notes: Weeeeeee!!!! More chapies!!**

**  
Disclaimer: Because I got high… Because I got high… Because I got hiiiiiiiigh….  
  
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**

  
**Heaven's Flames  
  
Chapter 18**

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            Usagi eyed her lover carefully. He had a very far away look in his eyes…It was almost… eerie…

            A small "Mamo-chan?" had the vampire nearly jumping out of his pallid skin. He turned to the small young women next to him, wide eyed. She was watching him carefully – too carefully, as far as Mamoru was concerned.

            "Are you OK…?" the blonde questioned skeptically. "You seem worried about something…"

            "No! I'm fine!" Mamoru blurted out a bit too quickly. He flushed a deep red. "I'm… fine," he answered again, slower and softer, so as to not worry Usagi even more. If he didn't quit being so damn obvious…

            The blonde quickly abandoned the curiosity and let a smile light up her features. Mamoru felt his heart nearly melt at that smile. He was instantly reminded of how close he was to loosing her just a few days ago… and now… now he was being threatened with loosing her again… With her going… back home…

            "Well," Usagi chirped, shrugging off Mamoru's sport's jacket and handing it to him, "I'm gonna go take a bath!" She pecked him on the cheek and bound off before the vampire could even protest. 

            And then it hit him.

            What if Seiya was still at the lake?! What if he found Usagi and took her home?! What if Mamoru would never even get to do so much as say goodbye?!

            But… if he stopped her… then she would know that he had already met Seiya and nearly blew her chance at getting home… And that wasn't what he wanted either…

            Mamoru closed his eyes painfully and uttered a small "goodbye"… just in case…

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            Usagi pulled back on her socks over her still damp feet and jammed back on her shoes. She ran her fingers through her blonde, tangled, and wet hair, desperately trying to get out at least some of the knots. Just as she stood from her seat on a large boulder she heard a crunching sound behind her.

            The blonde whipped around, pigtails dancing in her face. Her blue eyes were wide with shimmering terror. "W-who's there?!" she croaked out. Usagi's heart hammered mercilessly in her ribcage, speeding up even more when she saw a figure stumble forward. 

            She blinked. Was it just her imagination, or was this creature… human…? 

            "Hey!" Usagi managed out. "Who are you?"

            The figure looked up with pain filled blue eyes. Dark navy hair hung limply over his sweat soaked face. He unconsciously clutched at the wound on his upper left arm harder. Recognition dawned over his features.

            "Aren't you…?" he mumbled, pulling something out of his breast pocket. He searched through a small stack of photos until he found what he was looking for: a picture of a teenager with bright blue eyes, blonde hair in an extremely unusual hairstyle, and a wide, cheerful smile. He flipped the photo over, reading the name he had scribble on the back. "You're…" he began once more, looking up at Usagi, "you're Tsukino, right…?"

            Usagi made a small noise of shock. "Um… y-yes… I am… But who--?"

            The man smiled despite the blood dripping from his arm that Usagi noted with a frown. He reached into his blazer's pocket again and pulled out a badge. "Kou Seiya. I work with the NYPD." Usagi's eyes widened drastically. "I'm here to bring you home, missy," he added with a wink.

            The tears of joy sprung up quickly, but she hastily blinked them away. There would be a time for rejoicing later, after she helped fix Seiya's wound, and after she told Mamoru the good news…

            Home…

            After a moment Seiya found himself seated on the boulder Usagi had recently occupied with his blazer draped over his lap, and his sleeve rolled up. Usagi hovered over the gash worriedly.

            "You were attacked, I gather?" the blonde questioned, ripping a long strip of cloth from the bottom of her skirt and dipping it in the lake. 

            "Yeah, but I managed to ge—AAAH!" Seiya howled as Usagi scrubbed at the wound. The blonde couldn't help but giggle.

            "Don't be such a baby, do you want an infection?" she reprimanded. "Besides, if you managed to get hurt this badly and still run away, then you can deal with this." Usagi wrapped her makeshift-bandage around his arm tightly for good measure, issuing another cry out of Seiya and a small curse. She giggled again.

            "I'm glad you find this so amusing," the officer grumbled, yanking his am away and babying it. Usagi smiled and shifted into Indian style at his feet. 

            "Well, you oughta be more careful!" she chided. "This place is really dangerous!"

            Seiya leaned forward and smiled. "So, tell me then, missy, how has such a cute girl like you survived here for so long?" 

            Usagi felt a small blush creep up on her cheeks. When he was so close, she couldn't help but realize how handsome this man was… She absent-mindedly wondered how old he was…

            "Um… I've had help…" she replied quickly, busying herself by looking through the remaining photos. Her hands froze at one in particular.

            A boy, about 15 or so, stood giving a peace sign and a cheesy grin. His skin was tan, which - along with his deep black hair and dark blue eyes - gave him a very intriguing look. 

            Usagi's breath caught in her throat. Was that really…? Could it be…?

            "Lemme guess," Seiya spoke, waking Usagi from her reverie. "You're help was a certain… vampire?"

            The blonde's head snapped up to stare at Seiya in shock. "How did you…?" The picture fell from her fingertips to land upside down in her lap. Two words were scribbled onto the back: Chiba Mamoru. 

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**Author's Notes**: Woo, shortness. I say that as if I never write short chapters… Hmm… Oh well… I hope you enjoyed it anyway, ^_^;;; 


	20. Chapter 19

**Author's Notes:** Holy crap. O_o I haven't written in _forever… Tis so sad. However, thanks to the gentle reminder from nekokitten, here is the new chapter!! ^_^;;; (I should be in school right now, but… eh)_

**Disclaimer:** 'Cuz I said so.

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**Heaven's Flames**

**Chapter 19**

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The way Chiba Mamoru woke was nothing like in the movies. There was no sun filtering though the windows to warm his sleeping face (of course, in Mamoru's case, this was a good thing). There were no slowly fluttering open eyelids. There was no stretching, and there was certainly no happy, fuzzy feeling.

            The transaction between sleep and consciousness was so fast it nearly made his head spin. Mamoru sat up, eyes focused on the mud wall before him, his mind somewhere else completely. For instance, how on Earth, or wherever Heaven's Flames was, did he wind up back in his bed?

            It's not like this was something new to him, it happened quite often, actually. Still, it left Mamoru wondering. Every time he fed he would slip into a dreamlike, or even drunken, state. Despite knowing this, he could never remember what happened when he woke in the morning. He mentally prayed he hadn't said anything stupid to Usagi…

            Mamoru gasped. Usagi! She had gone to take a bath and then… And then _what_? What if…! The frantic vampire finally tore his gaze away from the wall. 

            And was met with the sight of a blonde young woman lying next to him. 

Mamoru stared for a second, blue eyes wide with worry and now surprise. Two laughing eyes of a much lighter shade of blue met his.

            "Hi there," she cooed in a mirth-filled tone.

            "Usako…" Mamoru blinked. He finally let his tense muscles relax themselves and sighed heavily. "Thank God…"

            The blonde sat up and made her way into her lover's lap. Usagi snuggled against his tee-shirt clad chest. She smiled contentedly as she felt Mamoru sigh again, breath wafting over her ear and neck.  His cold, strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist. 

            "Um, say, Usako…?" the vampire mumbled unsurely, "did I do anything…. out-of-character last night?"

            Usagi giggled and snuggled deeper. She knew all about his feeding dilemma, but since he didn't drink all that often it was no bother. 

            "No, no, you were normal." Usagi pushed herself away slightly so she could see her lover's pallid face. She ran light fingertips over the deep purple rings under his eyes. "Sometimes," Usagi began, "I forget you're a vampire, ya know…" Mamoru's eyes widened just the slightest. "It's strange… I guess it's because you used to be human." The said vampire adverted his eyes in shame. Usagi's voice pitched down softly. "I had completely forgotten, actually…"

            Mamoru's gaze remained on his fists that were currently clutching the sheet. "So," he paused and cleared his throat. Damn his voice box and it's squeakiness! "So, what made you remember?" he asked apprehensively, voice still hitched slightly.

            Usagi smiled softly, relishing in the feeling of his cold skin against her own flushed body. She leaned up, the blanket rustling softly, falling from Mamoru's grasp. She took his chin into her hands and gently turned his head so his eyes would meet her's again. Mamoru reluctantly pulled his gaze back up and met determined blue eyes. He blinked slowly.

            "I was reminded by someone," was all Usagi said, and all she needed to say.

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            Mamoru sighed heavily and scrubbed his hands against his jean-clad legs. After a few more attempts at getting the blood stains off of his palms he gave up. It would come off in good time.

            The vampire stared down at the soiled appendages. The blood from his meal a mere ten minutes ago glared at him dully. 

            _How could she forget I was a vampire…? he wondered, completely perplexed. For Mamoru, it was a constant reminder. Not just the blood sullied hands and lips, and not just the fangs that filled his mouth. It was the constant starvation… especially around Usagi. _I'm an animal_._

            "Hey."

            Mamoru jumped, sucking in a quick breath. He spun around quickly to the source of the satiny voice. An adoring blonde stared back at him.

            Usagi waved, smiling broadly. Mamoru visibly sagged with relief. 

            "Hi," he croaked back, plastering on a shaky smile.

            The blonde leaned up and brushed her lips against the vampire's own. He flinched away. 

            "What's wrong?" Usagi questioned, one eye brow arched. 

            Mamoru looked away in shame, taking a step back. "I just fed." He absent-mindedly rubbed his hands against his jeans again.

            "Oh?" She shrugged and stepped around him. "So what?" Mamoru turned to face her again, and watched her begin walking around. He couldn't help but smile.

            _She really doesn't care, does she? His smile grew wider._

            "Nothing," he replied, slipping behind her. "Nothing at all." The urge to kiss her neck wasn't fought. She giggled happily. 

            A few moments of silence between the bliss couple passed. Usagi was leaning back against her lover's chest, head cocked to one side as he nuzzled against her hair and neck. She mewed softly at the hot kisses he traced along her ear, jaw, and throat. She could feel his smile across her skin and sunk into his cold embrace.

            "Say," Mamoru began softly, hesitant to break the silence. "Are you…" he paused, unsure of how to word it delicately, "mad at me?" 

            Usagi giggled. "You're not one for tact, are you?" She turned in Mamoru's arms to face him. "No, I'm not mad," she responded warmly, reaching her hands up to clasp behind his neck. "I'm just confused as to why you didn't tell me."

            _Isn't that just the question of the day? Mamoru groaned mentally, recalling the earlier conversation._

            "I just…" the vampire had tried at lying when they were still in his little underground home. "I just didn't want to get our hopes up."

            "Don't worry, sweetie," Usagi had responded. "It's real."

            Now, standing before her, confronted by the same question, Mamoru was feeling nauseous. 

            "I was just thinking it wasn't real, is all," he answered. He desperately tried to bask in the warmth of his love clinging to him. After all, she might not be there for much longer…

            "Poor thing," the blonde crooned, toying her fingers in the black locks of hair at the nape of Mamoru's neck. "You've been here so long; you must have thought it was all just a dream."

            "Yeah," the vampire answered quickly. _A nightmare._

            "Hey!"

            Mamoru jumped, taken by surprise for the second time within a ten minute interval. Usagi peeked over his shoulder, face brightening. He hazarded a glance behind him. 

            _I'm too distracted recently, he thought sourly as he turned. _I didn't even smell anyone coming up._ That anyone, Mamoru realized, but had figured, was Seiya._

            The older man stood, hands on his hips, gun hanging from his shoulder holster. His blazer was tied haphazardly about his waist. The blood stains were still prominent on his shirt. Mamoru noted with a questioning glance a bandage tied around his arm. It was the same material of Usagi's skirt, which was so conveniently missing a large piece.

A small smile greeted Seiya's lips. He was making direct eye contact with Usagi. She couldn't help but blush. Mamoru smelt the rush of blood in the girl still hanging softly on him and frowned. 

            "Hi," the younger man rumbled. _No, no, Mamoru, don't be a moody bitch; you do enough of that without Seiya's help. This isn't his fault. _"Did you find the others?"

            Seiya's eyes never left Usagi's. "Yes," he answered bluntly, ignoring Mamoru completely. He took a step towards the blonde girl. "And how are you?"

            _Nooooooo__, it's not Seiya's fault at aaaaaaall. Mamoru clenched his fist._

            "I'm fine," Usagi giggled out. She pulled herself from Mamoru, no longer chilled. "And you?"

            "Perfect now that I'm staring into you're pretty eyes," was the rehearsed answer.

            "HELLO?!" Mamoru cried, throwing his arms out. "Am I not HERE?! Could you at least wait to hit on her till I LEAVE?! Jesus CHRIST!! Have some DECENCY!"

            Usagi turned to her lover, appalled. Here eyes were wide and mouth agape. Seiya turned to Mamoru for the first time, equally shocked at the sudden outburst.

            "M-mamo-chan!" Usagi sputtered, mouth still hanging open.

            Seiya blinked, face turning confused. "You…" He lifted a finger to point at the seething vampire. "You're voice squeaked." Mamoru blinked as well. "A _lot_."

            Now it was Mamoru's turn to be shocked and appalled. After a moment he shook his head madly and screamed from deep within his throat. "WHERE THE HELL DOES THAT CONTAIN ANY RELEVANCE TO WHAT I JUST SAID?!" he howled, head titled back the slightest, eyes clamped shut. 

            "It was cute," Seiya pointed out nonchalantly, eyebrows raised curiously.

            Usagi sighed heavily, finally relieving herself of her horrified state. "Mamo-chan," she began lowly, a hint of a threat in her voice. "What the hell are you freaking out about?!"

            "Forget it!!" the frenzied vampire growled. He shot a death glare to Seiya. "I'm leaving. Do what ever the hell you want!"

            "Mamo-chan!!"

            Mamoru spun on his heel and stormed off in the opposite direction. Usagi called his name once more in the adoring nickname she gave him. And then once not. Mamoru continued to walk, ignoring the shooting pain the lack of endearment inflicted. Even once he was out of human ear-shot, his vampire senses picked up a small snort of amusement from the police officer. 

            His fanatical stomps soon slowed into a weak trudge. After a few more paces, or, more accurately, drags, Mamoru fell to his knees. He took a shaky breath.

            "God…" he sighed, voice wavering. "Usako's probably so mad at me now…"

            He hung his head, bringing trembling fingers up to splay across his pallid face. The blood stains hadn't left his palms yet.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the onslaught of tears that threatened to make way down his cheeks. His head was pounding terrifically. 

            _He's going to take her away from me… the raven-haired youth moaned mentally. However, the part that scared him the most was not Usagi returning home – it was the painfully obvious chance that she might fall for Seiya and completely forget about her former love._

            Mamoru couldn't bite back the dry sob that tore up through his lungs.

            He shook dangerously at the thought of loosing her to someone else. His body racked with another sob at the idea of her forgetting him.

            Mamoru almost welcomed the gush of the bloodied tears that streamed down his cheeks and mingled with the dried blood on his hands.

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**Author's Notes:** Well, you have to admit, it is _longer_ then most chapters. ^_^ Doubly as long, surprisingly enough. Kind of pathetic, isn't it? Hehehe. Well, the plan is that I will have another chapter out but New Years. ^_^;; Ok?


	21. Chapter 20

**Author's Notes:** I felt bad for not updating in so long, so I decided to get another chapter out. Surprise!! ^_^ Just to let you know, I'm writing this with only one contact in because the one is floating around somewhere in my eye and I can't see to find it. It's not fun. I apologize for any bizarre mistakes in this chapter, as I am half blind.

**Disclaimer:** I CAN'T SEE!

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**Heaven's Flames**

**Chapter 20**

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Mamoru sat with his knees tucked up under his chin and his hands blindly trying to scrub away the blood-tears from his face. He took shallow gulps of air to help soothe his racking frame. He hiccupped softly, but promptly quieted it when he heard someone approaching behind him. He bristled considerably.

"What the hell is your problem?!" came the shrill scream from a few yards away. Mamoru quickly realized it to be Usagi – not sure whether to be relieved or terrified.

_Don't look at me like this,_ the vampire cried mentally, scrubbing harder at his face.

"Seiya went through all the trouble to gather everyone together," she continued, still stomping closer, "and then have to leave them to come tell us that he can bring us home tomorrow – and you flip out!! What the hell –" Usagi cut herself off. She froze in her steps; finally taking in her lover's curled up position. "Are you… crying?"

            "No."

            "Mamo-chan!" the blonde squeaked, rushing behind him. She could tell by the muddled desperation in his voice that he was indeed crying. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?!"

            "I'm not crying," Mamoru snapped. He hung his head into his hands, jaw clenched. "Go away."

            "God, baby, you should be happy!" Usagi placed her hands softly on his trembling shoulders. "We're going home tomorrow! What's with these mood swings? You—are you," she sputtered, realization finally dawning, "_jealous_ of Seiya?"

            "No," the vampire bit out, a bit too quickly. He forced down a small hiccup. "Shut up. Leave me alone."

            "My God, Mamo-chan, you _are_ jealous!" his lover squealed, kneeling down at his side. She slightly pulled at his shoulder to get him to turn his face to her.

            Mamoru pulled away from his hands and whipped his head to her. The tears had stopped, but their remains still stained his colorless face. "You don't know what it's like!" he cried, brow furrowed in a mixture of irritation and sheer anguish. 

            "Sweetie," the blonde began, voice soft, "I assure you, there is _nothing to be jealous about."_

            Usagi reached out and played her fingers across the vampire's cheeks, softly rubbing away at the dried tears. She leaned up and kissed his forehead and gently tidied his disarrayed hair. 

            Mamoru wasn't able to fight the heaviness of his eyelids and let them slowly droop closed. His chest was still tight, but Usagi's gentle caresses were helping to ease his mind. "Really?" he purred softly.

            "Yes, really," Usagi responded between a small giggle. A warm smile brushed her lips. Mamoru opened his eyes. "Seiya may be a big flirt, but it gets on my nerves sometimes. I'm only nice to him because look at all that he's giving us! We can finally return to our world!"

            Mamoru pursed his dark lips together into a thin line. His eyes swam with worry. "You don't love him?" he dared asking, trying to ignore Usagi's last sentence.

            "What?" Usagi blinked. She recovered quickly. A small glare met Mamoru's eyes. "Of course not!" she reprimanded. "I barely know him! Besides…" She leaned up and pressed her lips against her lover's ear. "I love _you."_

            Mamoru titled his head to rub affectionately against Usagi's cheek. He could feel her smile against him. The raven-haired man brought one hand to lie gently across her waist, and he brought the other up to toy with her long golden hair. A wave of sorrow washed over him at the thought that tonight will be his last night to be close to her.

"I'm afraid," Mamoru choked out, feeling the bubbling of tears swelling behind his eyes once more and the insecurities resurface, "you'll get to know him… And start to like him…" He quickly attempted at regaining his composure. "And then completely forget about me and wind up loving him instead."

            "Baby," Usagi whispered against his ear, "I wouldn't have the time to get to know him either way because I'll be with you."

            Mamoru shuddered. "But… he's going to be taking care of you, I'm sure, once you get back." He silently prayed that his voice would not give out on him and that Usagi was getting the subtle hints of their future together – or lack thereof.

            "No," she giggled, pulling back the slightest so she was a few inches from his face, "_you're going to be taking care of me." She emphasized 'you' with a small tap on his nose._

            Mamoru adverted his gaze quickly and shrunk back. _Don't make me have to spell it out, Usako… I can't handle that…_

            Usagi pulled her head back skeptically. "What? What's that look for?"

            The vampire reluctantly dragged his eyes back to the girl before him. "Usako…" he responded slowly, elongating the name as if talking to a small child.

            Usagi's eyes were wide. Deep down somewhere she knew it was coming, but her conscious wouldn't let her believe it. She shook her head hurriedly. "No, no, no. Don't look at me like that." She stopped shaking and her brow creased. She clenched her fists tightly around the fabric of Mamoru's shirt. "Why are you looking at me like that?!"

            The vampire brought his cold hands to lie gently over her own. He watched her carefully. "Listen, please…" 

            "No!" the blonde cried. She hunched her shoulders in, face beginning to crumple. "Don't you dare!!"

            Mamoru squeezed her clenched fists. "I can't go back there, love…" he responded in a low voice.

            Usagi hung her head and shook it faster this time. "What are you talking about?! Of course you can!!"

            "Usako…" Mamoru slumped slightly. "I'm a vampire."

            The girl swung her head back up and yelled. "That doesn't matter!!"

            "I can't go back."

            Mamoru was trying everything he could not to just break down and swear to whatever god he still believed in that there was no way in hell she was going back. _I'm so selfish, Usako… I don't want you to go… Oh God, love, don't make this harder…_

            However, Usagi wasn't going to give up easily and continued to fight. "We'll arrange something! We'll talk to Seiya!!" She shook him by the hold she had on his shirt. "We can get you blood from a slaughter house or something!!"

            It was now Mamoru's turn to hang his head. He sighed heavily. "I can't drink blood from the previously deceased."

            Usagi bit back a sob. "No…!" she cried. "Don't say it!!"

            The older youth bit down on his lip to keep from crying. The wound that his fang punctured bled down his chin "I can't go…"

            Mamoru's said fang was pulled away from the wound when he gasped in shock. Usagi threw herself towards her lover and buried herself against him. She was shaking wildly. Before Usagi got her next sentence out the cut on Mamoru's lip had healed.

"Then I'm not going back either!!" Usagi screamed around her lover's shoulder. 

            The vampire gasped. "What?!" he cried, horrified. He quickly pulled back, shoving her away a few inches. "No, you have to!!"

            Usagi glared into her lover's appalled eyes with her own determined ones. Both were swimming with unshed tears. "I'm not leaving you!!"

            "It's your home!"

            "It's your home, too!"

            Mamoru was cornered, and he damn well knew it.

            "No, this is my home now," he tried desperately. "I'm not human. I belong here." The pure truth behind it scared him half to death – if that was possible for an immortal.

            "Then I'll stay with you!" Usagi was in his arms again "I can't leave you! _I love you!!"_

            Mamoru sobbed dryly despite himself. Usagi sobbed back. "You have to go. You have family and friends there that miss you so much," he croaked.

            "So do you!!" she whimpered, clinging tightly.

            "I can't do anything about that." Mamoru wasn't able to resist the urge to hold her trembling frame close to his own shaking one. "But you can. You can go back to them."

            Usagi's nails bit into the vulnerable flesh of Mamoru's shoulder blades. He didn't flinch. "I won't!" she moaned.

            Before he even opened his mouth, Mamoru could feel the cracking of his voice surfacing. "You'll be happier there!"

            "I'll never be happy unless you're with me!!" she sobbed back, holding tighter.

            "Usako, please!" the vampire pleaded, trying to push her away.

            "I won't!!"

            "Let go."

            "I'm not leaving!"

            "Let GO!"

            Usagi found herself thrown back; landing harshly on her rear, legs sprawled out. She was a good two feet away from Mamoru now after his shove. They stared at each wide eyed and tear soaked – Mamoru horrified, Usagi shaken.

            "Usako…" the vampire gasped, appalled at his own actions. He watched her with worry.

            The young blonde crumpled into tears. She sobbed. It wasn't the shove that had her crying, it was the meaning of it – the meaning that Mamoru _wanted her to go. "God, please don't…" she whined._

            Mamoru let out a shuddering breath and stood slowly. "I love you…" he whispered reassuringly.

            "Don't say it like that…!" she choked back.

            "But you have to go…" Mamoru spoke through his breaking voice, ignoring his lover's pleads. 

            The tears were flowing freely. "Please, oh please, don't…" Her voice was almost inaudible.

            "Get some rest." Mamoru sniffed and straightened his spine. He smiled shakily. "Tomorrow's a big day for you."

            The next thing Usagi knew, she was curled up in a ball in the middle of a forest, sobbing her eyes out… alone.

________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:** And yes, the contact is still missing. I'm getting quite tired of it, really. But it just goes to show you how much I love you all and decided to write this in all in one-long-half-blind sitting. ^_^

What's going to happen? Is Mamoru going to return to the real world despite it all? Would Seiya even let him? Or will Usagi stay with Mamoru? Or will she go back by herself? Oo la la. Stay tuned!! ^_^ Hehe, I sound like a crappy commercial. New chapter around Christmas. I would get it out sooner, but I'm writing a Christmas Gravitation story (don't be mad nekokitten!! ;_; ).


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's Notes:** Here's the chappie. As promised. ^_^V

**Disclaimer: **Do you think I'd be sitting here writing crappy fanfics if I owned Sailor Moon??

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Heaven's Flames**

**Chapter 21**

**__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

Mamoru looked up the ladder and through the mud hole with tear-filled eyes. There she was, crouched on the ground above, staring down at him through the hole. Her eyes were glistening from the fiery specks of the quickly rising sun. The vampire could feel his skin tingling from just that small sparkle of light alone, but he didn't make to mind it. He was too busy staring into her weeping eyes, silently begging for her forgiveness.

            "Usako…" His voice felt harsh and loud compared to the stillness of dawn, despite how he tried to whisper. 

He gulped and hung his head, no longer able to crane his neck back to meet her gaze. They were only one ladder away. If only she would just walk down the ladder into his abode – then he could hold her. He could hold her until Seiya came in a few hours and took her away… _forever._ Mamoru bit his lip.

            He could say it so easily. _'I'm sorry. Please, don't spend tonight - our last night – alone'_. But Mamoru didn't speak. He couldn't. Not after all that was said a mere hour ago. Not after he walked away from her to hide himself in his underground home like the coward he was.

            "Can I come down?"    

            The vampire sucked in a quick breath. He swung his head up to see her about to brace herself to step down the ladder. She was eyeing him expectantly. Mamoru tried to speak, but found that no sounds could be formed. He mouthed the word 'yes' and she obliged.

            The young man had decided that the second she was down off the ladder he would sweep her into his arms and tell her just how much she meant to him – that he didn't want her to go. But then, as he watched her descend, he realized he was much too impatient to wait for her to go down the last three rungs. 

            The golden-haired Usagi squeaked in surprise as she felt two cold arms encircle her waist and pull her from the ladder. After the initial shock, she soon found herself twisted around in her lover's arms, a smile on her lips. They both felt guilty for smiling at a desperate time like this, but Usagi just couldn't help it and Mamoru didn't want to.

            "I love you," Mamoru whispered hopelessly in her blonde tresses, holding her close. "God, Usako, I love you so much."

            When Usagi had decided to make herself known at the foot of Mamoru's dwelling, she promised herself that should would not cry – no matter what that meeting entailed. She could tell already from the tightening in her chest and burning of her eyes that the promise would go unheeded. 

            "Mamo-chan…" The girl's arms, currently wrapped about Mamoru's neck, clung tightly to the shirt about his shoulders. She paused, unsure of what to say, but positive that something must indeed be said.

            "Hold that thought." 

            Usagi blinked as she felt Mamoru withdraw from her and make his way to the ladder. The tingling on his skin had increased to a burning. He pulled himself up the ladder and winced as he advanced closer to the sunlight. He would have to close the mud-covering of his home, and fast, before all his skin burned away. He wanted their last night together to be romantic, not full of pus and gore. 

            Mamoru's movements were swift from years of practice as he quickly covered the opening. When finished he grinned down at the girl below him and made his way back down. He noticed that she was apparently suppressing a large grin.

            "What?" he queried defensively. 

            Usagi leaned over, once they were on level ground, and poked his cheeks. Mamoru winced just the slightest, and pulled back.

            "You have a sunburn," she giggled out. The vampire frowned.

            "It's your fault for coming here as the sun was rising," he countered, slamming his hands on his hips.

            "You're perfectly childish."

            Mamoru blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, a small, accidental pout twisting his lips. 

            "Nothing," Usagi cooed, stepping closer. Her stomach jolted slightly as she felt her warm body brush up against Mamoru's own cold one. "Just that I love you." She leaned up and swept her lips across his. Mamoru could have sworn he was melting.

            "I love you, too," he sighed against her mouth. He felt her lips spread into a smile.

            Mamoru curled his arms about her lithe waist and pulled her gently close. Usagi's hands danced themselves to rest on the nape of her lover's neck. Their bodies were grazing each other's enticingly and both shuddered softly. The vampire leaned his head further down and pressed his lips against the blonde's, no longer able to take being so close and yet not quite intimate. Usagi responded happily as her lips tugged playfully with his.

            Mamoru's tongue had soon coaxed the younger girl's mouth opened and she slowed her pace. If there was one thing she learned from kissing Mamoru, it was that she had to be careful about his fangs. However, soon the sharp canines were masterfully avoided and both continued in their fervent dance of tongues. 

            Usagi whimpered slightly as Mamoru pulled her closer and his hands roamed up and down her sides and back. His thumbs were brushing right under her breasts. Goosebumps plagued her skin. The soft mewls of delight that emanated from his lover had Mamoru's mind reeling. She was crushed up against him wonderfully. He could feel every curve of her body, and, he noticed with embarrassment, that she could probably feel a growing part of his own, too.

            Mamoru reluctantly pulled back, leaving Usagi flushed and open mouthed. Their labored breaths mingled flirtatiously in the air. She opened her heavy-lidded eyes and frowned as best she could.

            "What?" she breathed, trying to regain her composure.

            Mamoru sighed and shook his head, their bodies now an inch or so apart, but their arms never leaving the other. When he had been sucked into the game he was a virgin. Now, all these years later, Mamoru was still a virgin. It was only natural for a twenty-one year old virgin to have these kinds of feelings… But when you add into the mix that he had the hormones of a restless teenager and a hopeless adult _combined_… well, that was a much more complicated situation.

"I didn't want to…" he began unsurely, eyes hesitantly meeting Usagi's, "…go too far."

The blonde blinked. "Go too far?" She shook her head through a giggle. "You weren't going too far."

"Well, my actions might not seem like it…" Mamoru looked down and glowered at a certain appendage that was sticking out annoyingly. "But other parts of me were…" he paused, "_are."_

Usagi followed his gaze and couldn't help but giggle again. "I noticed." She grinned up at the blushing vampire. "I could feel it against my leg."

"Don't make fun of me!" Mamoru cried, completely appalled. 

"I'm not making fun of you." The blonde leaned up and pressed her lips against his reassuringly.

"I can't help it…" he grumbled, looking away. "But you better let me calm down for second, otherwise I'm going to have to go wank off in a corner."

Usagi's hand flew to her mouth to help suppress her mirth. After a second of Mamoru grumbling under his breath, she finally recovered her poise. "Why would you have to do that?"

Mamoru glared at her flatly. "Well, if I don't and you keep getting me excited," he stated matter-of-factly, "I'm not going to be able to restrain myself from jumping you."

The young girl leaned up and felt her nose brush against his. "Who said I didn't want you to?" she whispered alluringly.

Mamoru gulped. He glared as harshly as he could, despite the way his body felt like it was on fire. "Don't tease me," he choked out. 

Usagi slipped her hands down Mamoru's chest with feather-light fingers. She tugged his tee-shirt out of it's tucked-in position in his pants. Mamoru sucked in a sharp breath as her fingers slipped under his shirt and trailed along the waist of his jeans. 

"I won't be held responsible," Mamoru managed through the lump in his throat, "for my actions." His stomach jerked as her hands slipped to his chest. Her warmth burned wonderfully against his vulnerable skin. "I said," he began again in a strangled voice, "don't tease me." 

Usagi's nimble fingers slid down his chest and rested on his jean-clad hips. She nipped softly at his bottom lip. "I'm not."

Mamoru blinked in shock, not only from her statement, but from her actions that followed. She leaned up and pressed her lips against his ear. Her body was soon against his, pressure in all the right spots. Mamoru bit back a groan.

"This is our last night together, right…?"

            The quiet seriousness of her words had the jaw-clenching stimulation momentarily forgotten. Mamoru's tensed shoulders sagged and he hung his head. With all the coy words and playful actions the said vampire nearly forgot that she was to go home in only a few hours. He let out a quick breath and clamped his eyes tight in shame.

"Make love to me."

            Mamoru jerked back and stared into Usagi's clouded eyes with his own shocked ones. He opened his mouth to speak, but it took him two tries before his voice came.

            "You can't be serious!" Mamoru cried, unsure of whether he was overly appalled, or overly hopeful.

            "I'm_ very serious, Mamo-chan." Usagi began nearing him again, the same look in her eyes. Mamoru was sure he'd be swallowed whole._

            "I-" he stuttered, "I can't!!"

            The blonde arched a meticulous eyebrow. "You _can't_?"

            The older flushed. "I mean… I _can_! But… I… We _shouldn't_." He was stumbling over his words and his hands were flying about nervously.

            "What do you mean, 'we shouldn't'?" Usagi's appealing gaze hardened into a glare. "You don't want it?" Her eyes traveled down to Mamoru's dwindling 'problem'. "You seemed fine about it before."

            "It's not that I don't want it…!" he offered, trying to plead his case. "But—"

            "I know it's more then just a physical situation, right?" The blonde eyed him warily. "But, I'm ready – both physically and mentally." Her glare softened dramatically. "Aren't you?" 

            Mamoru made a quiet sound of protest. He quickly shook his head and reached out for his lover's shoulders. "It's not that, Usako!" He sighed and hung his head. His voice hushed. "I'd want nothing more… Well, maybe _something more… But…" He made a sound of distaste at his fumbling speech. "I want to," he stated plainly, knowing no other way to put it. He lifted his head to meet her eyes with a concerned gaze. "I just don't… Don't want you to regret it."_

            "Regret it?" Usagi cried, stepping forward. "Why would I ever regret it?!"

            Mamoru adverted his gaze sadly. "When you go back…" He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "When you go back, I'm sure you'll find someone new…" Usagi made to speak, but Mamoru opened his eyes and shushed her with a finger on her lips. "I don't want you to fall in love with that man," he whispered hoarsely, inwardly wincing at the mental image of his love in the arms of Seiya, "and regret spending tonight with me." His heart was throbbing painfully.

            "I could _never love anyone but you." The girl's actions were slow and deliberate as she stepped towards him and wrapped her arms about his torso. She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. Mamoru took a shaky breath. "You're the only one for me… I mean that."_

            "Usako," the vampire began hesitantly, "you don't know that." His fists clenched at his sides. He was using everything in his power not to hold onto the girl in his arms for dear life. "You could very easily return and forget all about me."

            "Forget about you?!" Usagi snapped her head back. "I would never be able to forget about you!! I'll always love you!!"

            Mamoru smiled sadly. He brought one trembling hand up to brush across her cheek. "I don't want you to have any regrets should you fall in love elsewhere…"

            "The only thing I'd regret," the blonde countered, "is leaving here without spending tonight with you." Her gaze was determined but miserable. The vampire's heart ached.

            "Are you really sure about this…?" he asked breathily, leaning his forehead against her own.

            Usagi let her eyes flutter closed. "More then anything."

            Within a few minutes they were down on the makeshift cot. All apprehensions were pushed aside, and there were no regrets. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Author's Notes:** Well, this would have been out sooner, but I was suspended from fanfiction.net for a bit because I neglected to notice that you're not allowed to put up just Author's Notes for a chapter (of my story "Christmas is a Time…"). But I'm back, and you got your chappie!! ^_^ yey!!


	23. Chapter 22

**Author's Notes:** There is no excuse for me not getting this chapter done. I'm sorry, I really am. I could give you a page long list of reasons why this has been postponed so long, but you probably don't care. ; But, needless to say, this chapter is finally finished. I'm terribly sorry. For those of you who have stuck with me this far – thank you. It means everything to me.

**Disclaimer: **Yes – I don't own Sailor Moon. Get over it.

**Heaven's Flames**

**Chapter 22**

****

Usagi purred softly and sunk deeper into the water that sloshed around her. The warmth of the night only heightened the wonderful cool water she waded in. Her blonde tresses were tied up into a massive lump of waves at the top of her head, random strands falling down and kissing the lake. She closed her eyes blissfully.

"Having fun?"

The blonde didn't open her eyes, but her lips spread into a wide smile. That luscious tenor could only be from a certain vampire that seemed to catch her fancy.

"Mmm…" she mumbled in response. Her blue irises slowly made themselves known as her lashes fluttered open. "But I'd be having more fun if you were in here with me."

Mamoru grinned, his fangs gleaming in the faint moonlight. He ran a hand through his unruly raven hair and exhaled in amusement.

"I think that can be managed." He tugged his tee-shirt off and proceeded to undo the button on his jeans. "But what if Seiya catches us?" he drawled playfully, stripping down to his boxers.

Usagi stretched her arms out in front of her lazily, causing the water to churn from the motion. "Who cares?" she answered disinterestedly. "If he catches us skinny-dipping, then we'll just have to be sure to give him quite the show."

The vampire laughed shortly as he sunk into the lake. He waded past the miniature waterfall and crossed to his playful lover. She greeted him with a tender kiss and they wrapped their arms around one another's water-slicked frames. Usagi sighed softly and rested her head on Mamoru's shoulder.

Neither spoke for a long while, only basking quietly in the body heat (or lack thereof, in Mamoru's case) that the other emanated. Their arms curled slowly and gently about each other's body.

The two stayed that way for a while, bodies pressed gently to one another, hearts throbbing, and chests tightening. The vampire's hand ran through the stray golden locks that fell from Usagi's make-shift bun atop her head. The blonde's arms were wrapped around her lover's waist and she lightly rubbed her thumbs up and down against his skin.

Had they been in a different predicament the moment would have been cherished and heavy with content. However, both knew that such an embrace would be their last. It weighed their minds down with sorrow and desperation.

"Mamo-chan…" Her voice was shaking.

Mamoru let out a shuddering breath and kissed Usagi's temple. "Don't say anything," he shushed her. "It hurts too much…" He felt his voice cracking, more so then usual.

Usagi's grip on the older man tightened. She sniffled and whimpered softly, burying her face in his shoulder. Mamoru clenched his jaw, trying to suppress the wave of emotions that was threatening to wash him away.

The water slopped about as a small breeze blew by. For a while it had seemed as if the two were lost in time, but when they felt the water move and their hair dance in the wind they new that this was no time-freeze. They knew then that time would keep moving without them and there was nothing they could do about that. Any minute now and Seiya would come along, taking Usagi away.

Time was a cruel, cruel device – if one could consider it such.

With their naked bodies pressed tightly against one another, Mamoru could feel himself on the verge of tears. He pressed his lips to a mess of golden curls and his chest heaved once in a dry sob. His shoulder was already wet with Usagi's quiet tears.

"Don't make me leave," she pleaded desperately against his neck. "Don't—"

"Stop it," Mamoru managed out gruffly. He pushed her back just the slightest. "I thought we already discussed this."

"I can't do this, Mamo-chan!" Usagi cried out, tears spilling. She gripped at his waist, never realizing that her nails were curled into his flesh. Mamoru set his jaw, ignoring the pain. It was nothing compared to the pain in his chest.

"Don't make it harder, Usako!" He was breaking down, and they both knew it.

_No, I have to be the strong one here_, Mamoru barked at himself. _I have to make sure she goes home without either one of us giving in. I _have_ to. _

Usagi's head fell to rest against her chest. She sobbed uncontrollably.

Mamoru felt something wet and burning slide down his cheeks and he knew then he was crying. He tried to hold it back, tried to blink away the blood-tears, but every time he did more fell.

"Stop crying," he demanded weakly, voice wavering all over the place. "If you cry it will just hurt more…"

Usagi swung her blonde head up. Her cheeks were flushed and streaked with tears. "You're crying, too!"

"You're making me cry!" the vampire retorted, rubbing at his nose and cheeks. Blood stained his hands. He could barely see now past the red film of blood-tears in his eyes.

"Mamo-chan," she tried, pressing her hands to his chest frantically, "let's just go back to your little home underground. Seiya can't find us there. I'll stay with you, Mamo-chan. I'll stay here and—"

"That's enough."

Mamoru and Usagi both jumped and jerked their heads to the side. Seiya was standing before them, leaning against a nearby tree. He held a gun in one of his hands. There were a few three teenagers behind him, presumably the ones ready to go home.

The vampire's eyes narrowed into slits at the sight of the man he abhorred more then anything. He wasn't sure why exactly the hatred bubbled, but he followed the emotion on instinct, letting it take him over. He was a potential rival. Mamoru wasn't blind, he could see the way Seiya's eyes followed Usagi.

_No, dammit, no._ Mamoru shook his head and turned to a fumbling Usagi. She was ducked low in the water, trying to keep her body hidden. _She's leaving, once she's gone from here she can do whatever she pleases. And if that consists with being with Seiya then… _he gulped,_ then so be it._

"Alright," Mamoru growled, quickly overcoming the crying. "Give us a second so we can get dressed at least."

Seiya smirked. "You better not think of running off," he replied, voice dripping with cockiness. Mamoru wanted to punch him.

"We won't."

The long, raven-haired man spun around, ponytail flaying out behind him. He gestured for the three to follow him and they did so, trembling.

"We'll meet you a few yards ahead in that clearing," Seiya informed, already walking away. "Ten minutes."

As the three teens followed Seiya their hearts and hands quivered in anticipation. Home was in their reach.

As Seiya stuffed his gun in the waist of his pants a slick grin spread his lips. This was his moment. He would finally be able to prove himself as a reliable police officer. Triumph was in his reach

As Mamoru and Usagi dried themselves off and got dressed they sniffled and swore to each other they wouldn't cry. They would soon be torn apart.

Solitude was in their reach.

**Author's Notes:** This story has been going on for over a year now, and without everyone's support I wouldn't have made it this far. Thank you so much for being with me up until this point, and please continue to be. If I don't update, then e-mail me and harass me. It makes me feel guilty, and I'll write more often. ;;

The next chapter will be up by the end of next week. I promise. I swear. I will have it up. And if I don't then you all have the right to e-mail me and hunt me down.

But I'll probably have it up.

Unless I die first.

Let's not hope for this.


	24. Chapter 23

**Author's Notes:** I got it out! On time! My God, it's a first!! XD

Guys, this is NOT the last chapter – so don't run away from this story when you're done reading here today.

**Disclaimer: **Usagi, Mamoru, and Seiya belong to Takeuchi Naoko and a bunch of other suits. I, however, own the rights to 'Heaven's Flames' and this plot line.

**Heaven's Flames**

**Chapter 23**

****

Usagi smiled slowly as she felt those cold lips against her forehead. She dipped her head back to stare into Mamoru's eyes. The lips were smiling, hints of fangs peeking out, but those crystalline eyes were dead. Usagi's brow crunched up.

"Uh, uh," the vampire reprimanded gently. He leant his forehead against his lover's own. "No crying. We promised each other." His eyes fluttered closed sadly, as did Usagi's. "No tears." His voice hitched.

The blonde pulled back and leant up so their noses were touching. "Right," she agreed shakily. She forced a smile.

"OK, guys!" Seiya's cheerful, yet still gruff, voice broke through the calm night. "Who wants to go first?" he boomed cheesily, as if this was some kind of magic show where he would need volunteers.

One of the boys took a shaky step forward. He gulped. Mamoru eyed the boy sadly – he couldn't be any more than thirteen.

"I-I'll go, sir…" the young boy offered. Seiya grinned his cocky grin.

"Step right up." The raven-haired police officer took the boy's wrist and gestured for him to sit. "I'm just gonna hook you up."

Mamoru arched a curious eyebrow. He had been wondering how Seiya was going to get all these children home, but he never got the chance to ask. Now, seeing the large, metallic, black box next the boy, the vampire was even further confused.

The box had dials and switches placed sporadically about the top half of it. There was a screen in the middle with something akin to a heart monitor. All along the bottom half of the contraption was electrodes.

Seiya attached two of the electrodes to either side of the boy's head. There was one put on his jugular (Mamoru swallowed hard), one on each palm, and one on each calf. The police officer said something to the boy, which he nodded to. Seiya then lifted the boy's shirt and placed one electrode right where the boy's heart was, and another on his stomach.

"OK, all set." Seiya sat back on his haunches. "You ready to see your family again?"

There were tears in the boy's eyes. He nodded his head vigorously, biting down on his bottom lip. Usagi smiled.

"Here we go, then." He flicked some switches on the box. The screen lit up and the boy's heart beat began to be monitored and the sound magnified.

Usagi's stiffened when she felt Mamoru's nails dig into her waist. She looked over at him in surprise to see his head turned away and eyes closed painfully. He was biting his tongue to restrain himself and a thin trail of blood trickled down his chin.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi whispered. She wiped away the blood with her fingertips. "Are you OK?"

The vampire slowly opened his eyes. Usagi noticed they seemed to be a shade darker. He looked like he was in pain.

"I'll be fine," he managed weakly. Contrary to his words, his hands never loosened their hold on his lover. Usagi didn't mention it.

Before the thrumming of the boy's heart beat could further eat away at the vampire's nerves, a flash came from the machine. They all made a little squeak, even Seiya, and shut there eyes quickly.

They all stayed that way a moment, trying to let their eyes heal from the sudden burst of light. Then, after a sufficient amount of time they opened them again.

The boy was gone.

Seiya smiled smugly. Everyone else gaped.

"H-how…?" one of the girls commented, befuddled.

Seiya shifted into Indian-style. "So, who's next?" he asked cheerily.

The same girl stepped forward. "I will!!" she cried eagerly.

Usagi blinked and turned to her lover, who had relaxed drastically since the pounding heart beat stopped. She looked at him quizzically, as if he might have the answer for the phenomenon they just witnessed. Mamoru shrugged.

As the girl was set up, Mamoru took a step towards Seiya, letting go of Usagi.

"Seiya, how…?"

The older man tossed a quick glare to Mamoru. The vampire faltered slightly. The glare, however, quickly dissipated and was replaced with a fake smile.

"This little baby," he replied, patting the box, "sends a wave of electricity through the person." He paused. Everyone was still staring at him, dumbfounded. "Well," he continued, resuming placing the electrodes on the girl, "the body of yours on Earth has this same contraption hooked up to it." He leant over, the girl fully hooked up, and flicked a switch for the screen to turn on. Mamoru tensed. Seiya grinned. "Right now, there's a harmless current flowing through that body. The second I hit the switch for this box to do the same…" He did so, and the same flash ripped through the forest. He shielded his eyes, as did everyone else, but continued explaining. "The two bodies then wind up merging back together." The light faded. The girl was gone.

Mamoru felt Usagi clinging desperately to his arm. She must have grabbed him during the flash. His heart thudded painfully.

They had spent only a few weeks together, and yet they loved each other more then anything. They fought together, laughed together, cried together, and loved together. The days they spent in each other's company were bittersweet. Nothing was ever easy for them, even in this little amount of time. But, they over came it all. He saw her as more then a ditzy, blonde teenager. She saw him as more then a blood-sucking vampire. They loved.

And they lost.

Any minute now and their time together would end with a flash before their very eyes. Literally.

They held one another while the last survivor, aside from themselves and Seiya, was hooked up to the machine. Usagi rested her head on Mamoru's shoulder, and the vampire's lips pressed against her temple. They clung to each other for one last time as Seiya played with dials. They pulled back and stared desperately into one another's eyes as the magnified heartbeat began to pound. Mamoru never noticed it. They leant down for their last kiss.

When mouth brushed mouth the flash shot from the machine, and Usagi and Mamoru shuddered against each other. There were lumps in their throats, their lungs were tight, and their hearts ached. The kissed and kissed, gently and chastely. The vampire's hands slid ever-so-gently through those golden locks one last time, and Usagi wrapped her arms around that cold neck in a final farewell.

Seiya lent back, watching the two lover's in disgust. He had started to fall for the blonde beauty before him the first time they met. The police officer liked getting things done his way, no matter what. If it meant tearing the two apart in order to get to little miss Tsukino Usagi, then so be it. He would do it.

And he'd get her.

No matter what.

Seiya cleared his throat, effectively causing the two before him to break their kiss.

"Are you ready?" he asked gruffly.

Usagi felt her eyes well with tears. She looked to her lover, trying to silently plead with him. He stared down at her with a sadly smile on his lips and shook his head 'no'. She crumpled.

Usagi threw herself at Mamoru and sobbed brokenly into his chest. The vampire was taken aback.

"Hey…" he managed feebly, hands resting shakily on her shoulders. He tried to push her away, but she didn't budge. "I thought we agreed on no crying…?" he reminded softly, not wanting his voice to pitch up too high.

Usagi's grip tightened and she shook her madly against him. "No!!" she cried, voice broken with sobs. "I can't!! I can't, Mamo-chan!!" She sobbed heavily. Mamoru's shirt was wet. "I'll stay here!!" She pulled back, eyes streaming and cheeks flushed. Mamoru felt his heart break at seeing her like that. "Let me stay with you!!"

"Usako…"

Seiya's eyes narrowed. Was he really doing the right thing…? Was tearing these two apart worth it…?

"Please, Mamo-chan!!" She gripped handfuls of his shirt, pulling. "I love you!! Let me stay here!!"

The vampire wanted to cry, but he wouldn't give himself the liberty. No, if he broke down now, then he would let her stay.

He couldn't let that happen.

"Please…!" she cried again, voice barely audible over her sobs. Before Mamoru could stop it, one blood-tear fell down his cheek.

"Usako…" He reached a trembling hand out to touch her tear-streaked face. "You…"

She bit on her bottom lip, it quivering madly. Her cornflower-blue eyes swam in a sea of tears. Her eyes pleaded, begged with him. His defenses were crumbling.

A slow, warm smile parted the vampire's lips. His eyes smiled with them this time. His hand slipped to the back of her head and pulled Usagi close. The girl stiffened for a moment, and then quickly relaxed, letting herself to melt in his arms.

He would let her stay.

They would be together.

Forever.

"I love you," Mamoru whispered softly in her ear, ruffling stray golden bangs. Usagi shuddered.

"I love you," she replied through her tears.

That was all he needed.

Seiya's eyes widened as Mamoru slowly pulled his right hand away. He did it so slowly that Usagi couldn't even notice the movement. By the time the girl realized that her lover's arm was extended up and to the side it was already too late.

Seiya's back stiffened and he choked in shock.

Mamoru's hand swung down, fingers extended tightly in a chop. The hand made a sharp impact with the side of Usagi's neck.

She collapsed in his arms, out cold.

Seiya sputtered, mouth opening and closing, but unable to form any words.

Mamoru's head hung low, eyes closed. His right hand was still rigid and in the same position from the hit. His lover was crumpled in the hold of his left arm. Her knees had fallen out from under her.

The police officer's ears caught Mamoru saying something.

"Take her," he demanded softly, almost inaudibly. Seiya couldn't find the strength to move. "Take her," Mamoru repeated, stronger. There was a pause. The vampire's head swung up, eyes wide and wild. "TAKE HER!!!"

Seiya was at his feet in an instant, taking the unconscious girl in his arms. He quickly turned away from the raging vampire and laid her down next to the machine. Seiya set her up as quickly as possible, taking care not to upset Mamoru further when he placed the electrodes on her chest and stomach.

The older man paused, fingers hovering over the first switch. He didn't look to Mamoru, but instead to Usagi's face – dried with tears. He felt his gut clench.

Mamoru's eyes narrowed into slits when his lover's heartbeat resounded throughout his eardrums. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails broke skin.

He wouldn't let himself cry.

Seiya's eyes turned apprehensively to the vampire a few feet away. Mamoru's fiery eyes met his. The mortal gulped and nodded, knowing that the younger man wouldn't back down.

A pang of guilt hit Seiya, but he brushed it aside.

The flash broke through the forest, but this time Mamoru didn't close his eyes. He stared right through it, eyes unmoving from the spot where Usagi last was. And when the light disappeared, she was gone.

The vampire felt his heart squeeze and his eyes blurred with blood-tears.

Not yet.

Seiya didn't turn to Mamoru, in fear of what the younger man's expression might be. He guiltily hooked his own body up to the box and turned the screen on. When he heard his own heartbeat, he froze for a moment.

Funny, he could have sworn he was heartless…

Keeping his head down, Seiya spoke softly. Mamoru could barely hear it over the pounding.

"You did a good thing"

The light flashed for one last time.

And when it cleared, Mamoru was down on his knees, sobbing openly.

**Author's Notes:** I was wrong – this story has been going on for over TWO years… Jeesumcrow. Well, was that sad enough for you? I hope so, hehe.

Wait! Don't go away!!

The story's not over yet!!

Come back next week.


	25. Chapter 24

**Author's Notes**: I'm sorry this took so long. There's really no excuse. Except that I'm a lazy, exhausted slug… If that counts.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, yadda yadda… But I do own Heaven's Flames. Steal and die.

* * *

Heaven's Flames

Chapter 24

* * *

Tsukino Ikuko's ears perked when she heard the doorbell ring. She scampered from her spot in the kitchen to the front door. She swung open the large oak door without checking the peephole. Her face lit with surprise.

"Kou Seiya!" she exclaimed excitedly.

The said police officer stood just outside the door, his trademark grin plastered on his lips. He nodded. "Good afternoon, young lady."

Ikuko blushed. "Ah, you're such a kind young boy. What can I do for you, dear?"

Seiya pushed his sunglasses off his nose and unto the top of his head. His eyes sparkled. "I was wondering if your lovely daughter was home, miss."

The violet-haired housewife smiled. "Indeed she is." She ushered the young man in and noticed the bouquet of flowers he held. "And are those for her?" she added, gesturing to the arrangement.

"They are." Seiya toed off his shoes. "How is she?"

Mama Ikuko's smile immediately faltered. "She's…" Ikuko paused. "She's coping," she finally finished.

Seiya's whimsical features turned serious. "It's been two weeks," he stated matter-of-factly. Ikuko only nodded in response.

The police officer was starting to get annoyed. He had been calling Usagi frequently to check up on her and see how she was managing, but not once would she take his call. Over the past weeks he had become rather close with Ikuko, however. And, as nice a woman as Ikuko was, she was not the Tsukino Seiya was interested in. If this moping of her's continued, he was going to have to take drastic measures.

"May I see her?" Seiya queried after a thoughtful moment.

"You can sure try," Ikuko replied.

The two climbed the stairs in the quaint little home and made their way down the hallway. Ikuko stopped at the last room on the right. She faltered nervously before eventually knocking.

"Usagi, dear, that kind police man is here to see you."

As the two expected, there was no response. They both stood, waiting for a few agonizing moments. Then, slowly, Ikuko turned to Seiya with sad eyes.

"Has she even come out of the room since she came from the hospital?" Seiya whispered gravely.

Ikuko shook her head 'no'. "She's barely eaten, too. I'm worried about her."

"As well you should be." The officer stared at the door harshly, as if he could sear it open with his gaze. He paused for a moment and then tried knocking again. "Usagi, it's me. Could I please come in?"

Upon receiving no answer, Ikuko huffed in an exasperated fashion. "I'm opening the door, Usagi," she announced and then did just that.

Before Usagi could even think to protest, Ikuko pushed Seiya into the room and shut the door behind him. The officer blinked. That wasn't how he had planned things…

Usagi, who had been facing away from Seiya, slowly tore her gaze from the window. Her neck turned itself around and limp gold curls fell off her shoulders. Two cold, dead, blue eyes swung to meet Seiya's own. The latter forced down a little sound of shock.

Was this really Usagi? Was this pale, scrawny, deathly looking child really the Tsukino Usagi he met in the game? Where did her vibrant blue eyes go? Or her rosy cheeks? Or her full figure? What happened to her brilliant laugh and unusual hairstyle? Did she leave it behind in the game? With _him_?

"Uh, hi there," Seiya managed out after a moment. He held out the flowers. "I brought you a get-well present."

Usagi's emotionless eyes fell to the bouquet. She said nothing and turned back to her window.

Seiya frowned. This was too much.

"I'll, uh, just put them over here…" He stepped over to a desk set up against the adjacent wall. He settled down the flowers, but after that he didn't know what to do with his now-empty hands.

Unable to think of anything better, Seiya pulled the desk's chair to the side of Usagi's bed. He sat uncomfortably.

"So, how ya doing? You're mom told me you're a little under the weather."

He was trying to be nice, really he was. He was trying to be polite, and understanding. He was doing all he could to charm her.

And it wasn't working.

Seiya restrained from cursing under his breath.

In one swift movement, Seiya stood from his seat and placed on hand on either side of Usagi. He leaned over her, dangerously close. The girl turned to him with a hint of surprise in her eyes. It was a start.

"Do you really miss him that much?" Seiya asked, voice low.

Usagi stared for a few seconds, not speaking. Then, ever-so-slowly, her chapped lips parted. The voice that came past those lips was not the sweet voice Seiya remembered.

"That's none of your business," she rasped out. Her voice sounded dry and raw, as if she had been screaming. Seiya knew that wasn't the case. The only thing this girl had been doing was sobbing.

With that, Usagi turned her head away again. The officer growled lowly. He shifted all his weight onto one arm and then seized her chin with his other hand. He firmly, yet gently, turned her back to him.

"I'm making it my business," he told her seriously. His voice was gruff, but there was no malice.

Usagi's brow creased just the slightest. The movement was so small, Seiya wondered if he had only imagined it.

"What do you want from me, Seiya?" she asked him, voice flat.

He let got of her chin and leaned back a few inches on his arms. "A 'thank you' might be nice," he spat. He was beginning to lose his temper. "I saved your damn life."

"I wasn't in any danger there," she answered quickly. Emotion was beginning to fall upon her again.

"You were with a vampire!!" he cried, and then, before she could interrupt, he continued. "I brought you home, Usagi! To your family!!"

"Well maybe I don't want to be with my family!!" she screamed.

Seiya faltered backwards somewhat from her sudden outburst. Without him obstructing her view, Usagi caught sight of her mother in the doorway. Her blue eyes went wide.

Ikuko stood stiff, hands trembling. Her mouth worked without any voice following it.

"I, I just, uh…" She looked down shakily at the vase in her hands as if to remind herself why she had entered the room. "I brought this… for the flowers…" She took an unsure step forward and rested the vase on the desk. As she arranged the flowers she kept her head low, not making eye contact. "Sorry," she continued, "for interrupting."

"Mama!" Usagi cried. She pushed Seiya out of the way and swung out of bed. She walked with faulty legs to her mother. "Mama, I didn't - I'm so sorry."

Seiya collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion. This girl sure changed moods fast.

"It's all right, dear, don't you worry about it…" Ikuko finished tending to the flowers and moved to leave.

Usagi tugged on her mother's arm. She felt her eyes burning for the first time in over a week. It surprised her; she thought she had run out of tears.

"I didn't mean it that way." Usagi let her head fall against her mother's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I love you, I do. And I'm glad I'm home." She hiccupped.

Ikuko softened considerably. "But you love him, too." Usagi nodded slowly. "It's all right. I understand. You love your family, and you love him. It's difficult." Ikuko patted her daughter's head. "Either way you choose, you loose something important to you."

Usagi pulled back from her mother. "Mama…" Her voice was wet and she kept the tears in check.

Ikuko smiled at her daughter lovingly. "I'll leave you two, now." She patted Usagi's head once more and then left the room.

The two occupants of the room didn't move for a while. Usagi closed her eyes sadly and hung her head. Seiya watched the girl's hunched shoulders contemplatively. Perhaps this turn of events would be worth his while.

"Hey, Usagi…" Seiya made sure his voice was low and sweet. He padded over to her and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Why don't I take you out somewhere, huh?" He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "We'll go anywhere you want. I'll take your mind off all this nonsense, if only for just a little while."

Usagi turned her head to the side so that Seiya could see her inquisitive profile. She stared at the floor, unsure.

"Come on. It'll be good for you to get some fresh air." Seiya smiled widely. "I'll pay for everything, so don't you worry about that. Wherever you want, we'll go. We can see a movie, or go to a restaurant… or maybe an arcade?"

After a moment's hesitation, Usagi slowly nodded. The poice officer beamed.

"Okay then!" he chirped. Seiya stepped in front of her and grinned. Usagi watched him in mild amusement. "I'll go downstairs while you get dressed. Don't take too long." He winked. "You're pretty either way."

Oddly enough, Seiya's statement was true. Even when he first saw her in that bed no more then ten minutes ago, she was still beautiful. She had an almost ethereal glow about her…

"All right, all right," the blonde replied lowly. She ushered him out of the room. Then something dawned on her.

Usagi pulled on Seiya's retreating arm. He turned to her, still grinning from ear to ear.

"And this is not a date," she added as an after-thought.

Before Seiya could retort, the door was slammed in his face.

* * *

Usagi blinked when she felt a tug on her arm. She took another large sip of her soda and turned to her companion. Seiya was grinning at her widely.

"Do ya wanna go in here?" the police officer queried, pointing behind him enthusiastically.

Usagi's cornflower blue eyes shifted to see what Seiya was talking about. The Crown Arcade loomed proudly before her. Her face immediately fell.

_An arcade?_ she pondered warily. _Can I really handle that? I think it's a bit too soon to be playing video games again..._

Seiya faltered. His arm fell limply at his side. Of course! How could have he had been so dumb? There was no way Usagi would want to play video games, not after everything that happened in Heaven's Flames.

"Oh, uh," he fumbled, "never mind. We should go somewhere else. Catch a movie, maybe?"

Long, gold ponytails swished around Usagi's face as she shook her head. "No, it's ok. Lets go in."

Seiya bristled. "No!" he cried, stepping in front of her. He wanted to _woo_ her, not make her _more_ depressed. "Er, no," he repeated, more gently that time. "I don't think--"

"It's fine," the blonde assured. She stepped around Seiya and made her way through the automatic doors. The police officer had no choice but to follow.

Seiya felt like questioning her certainty, but thought the better of it. Instead he merely threw away his soda and stepped up to the change machine. He stuffed one thousand yen into the slot and waited for his tokens to come out.

"Seiya," Usagi called, though not too cheerily. She gestured to a racing game. "Let's play this, ok?" She assumed it would be the safest game for her current frame of mind.

"Sure." Seiya extracted his coins from the machine and split them evenly between Usagi and he. She smiled at him gratefully, and even though Seiya could tell it was forced, he couldn't help but smile back.

Usagi sat in the Player 1 carseat and positioned her feet appropriately. The raven-haired man took his seat next to her and shifted uncomfortably.

"Hey, Seiya..." the blonde began slowly, inserting her coins. "What happened to the game?"

Seiya eyed her oddly. "The game?" he questioned.

"Yeah." She spoke over the introduction music the game made. "Heaven's Flames, I mean - what happened to it?"

"Oh." Seiya chose which car he wanted to drive absentmindedly. "The police have them in custody. All the games were taken off the market."

The two remained silent for a minute while they picked their path. Usagi chose to drive in manual, whereas Seiya chose automatic. The blonde opened her mouth to make a joke about his choice, but was cut off.

"Shit, that reminds me!" Seiya banged his fist on the steering wheel. Usagi jumped a little. "I never gave back my copy."

Usagi furrowed her brow. "Your copy?"

"Yeah." The race track loaded and Seiya readed himself. "There's a copy of the game at my house, from when I was in there." He revved his engine. "Ah well, I'll just give it back on Monday."

The scantily clad woman in the game lowered the checkered flag and Seiya was off. Usagi faltered for a moment, but then quickly zoomed down the track. She switched gears and sped up without even thinking about it. Something completely unrelated to _this_ videogame was brewing in her mind.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: I TOLD you this wasn't over. XD

I'm sorry that this chapter was so short. I had intended to write one more scene, but after writing that last sentence up there points I though "Hmmm... that looks like a pretty good cliffhanger, to me."

I PROMISE YOU that I will have another chapter out before Feburary hits. And this time I _fully_ intend on keeping that promise. I'm going to work my hardest.

Please do not hate me if there are any atrocious spelling and/or grammar errors in this. I am using a spellcheck/grammarcheck free program because I currently do not have Microsoft Word anymore. Don't hate me?

See you all soon!


	26. Chapter 25

**Author's Notes:** ………..

Uh…. So much for the beginning of February, huh….?

……….

Don't hate me? Come on, guys! It's Friday, March 25th! Don't you know what today is? (And for all your Christians, no, _not_ Good Friday.) It's **Linh Huynh's** birthday! Happy 16!

It is also **Kitsu's** cat's birthday today! His name is Noble, or as Kitsu said "Noble, but we call him Nobi, or Nobu, or Nobi-Wan, or Shithead..."

Annnnnnnnnd, it's **Heaven's Flames birthday**, too! Happy 3, Heaven's Flames! XD

See, you can't possibly hate me now, can you? It's our three year anniversary. There can be no hate.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Are you kidding me? Yes, I own Sailor Moon. Of course. Don't we all?

* * *

**Heaven's Flames**

**Chapter 25**

* * *

Usagi pulled away from her mother's embrace. She looked up at the older woman with tear filled eyes. Her mother quickly hushed her when she opened her mouth to speak.

"Don't." Ikuko shook her head sadly. She smiled as best she could. "Just promise me to write notes to your father and brother before you go."

Usagi nearly crumpled into a fit of tears again. She swallowed hard. "I will," she choked out.

The blonde stepped back, adverting her eyes from her mother. She paused for a moment, not sure what to do - if there was anything _to _do. She contemplated on saying more for a few brief seconds, but then hastily changed her mind.

Usagi spun on her heel and ran up to her bedroom, a certain video game clutched tightly in her hands.

* * *

_Seiya sighed dejectedly and placed the toy gun in its holster. He stepped back from the gnashing undead on the videogame screen and stuffed his hands in his pockets._

_"I'm all outta coins," he admitted feebly._

_Usagi found the will to scoff. "You'd think being a cop and all, you'd be a better shot." She eliminated the rest of the monsters on her screen. "Oh well, I'm almost dead, too."_

_Seiya leaned against the adjacent fighting game, watching the blonde closely, almost predatorily._

_"What do you want to do next, then?" he queried, trying to keep his eyes _only_ on her face._

_Usagi shrugged with one arm, shooting with the other. "What time is it?"_

_The police officer surveyed his watched. "A little after three. Want to go see a movie or something?"_

_Blonde pigtails shook back and forth. "I don't have any money for a movie."_

_"I told you," Seiya started, walking towards her, "today's all my treat."_

_Usagi started slightly when she felt his hand rest on her shoulder. She was taken off-guard enough for the zombies to rid her of her last bar of health. _

_The officer quickly removed his hand. "Sorry," he mumbled, not sure whether he was apologizing for making her die in the game, or for scaring her. Maybe for both._

_Usagi turned away from the screen quickly. The 'game over' sequence was giving her chills laced with déjà vu. _

_"It's fine." She stepped towards the arcade doors. "You coming?"_

_Seiya smiled widely. "Of course." He strutted up behind her. "So, we're seeing a movie then?"_

_Usagi thought for a long moment. Was this her chance?_

_"Actually..." she began, hesitant. Seiya prodded her to continue. "Well, I was wondering… could we go to your place?"_

_The dark-haired man nearly choked on his own tongue. "I'm sorry?" he tried, _positive_ he hadn't heard her correctly._

_Usagi checked herself. She wanted him to be convinced she wanted to go there, but at the same time, she didn't want him to think she was looking for something… more._

_"Well, I've never been to a bachelor's house before," she spit out quickly, then mentally smacked herself. It was a terrible lie. "I, um, I'm sure it's a _mess_."_

_Seiya rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, I guess." He laughed nervously. How stupid of him to think Usagi wanted something… more._

* * *

Usagi's hands trembled as she capped her pen. She placed it on her desk, next to the letters she had just finished writing: one for her father, one for her brother. The scrawled, rambling sentences were semi-blurred with the girl's tears. She sniffled.

Usagi stood from the small desk and took a long survey of her room. She would never be within these four walls ever again…

Her fingers trailed absent-mindedly over the video game while trying to take everything in. She mentally said goodbye to all her most precious possessions. She pushed aside all the memories, good and bad. It was all too much.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She considered calling down to her mother once more, but thought the better of it. Instead she snatched up the game and quickly situated herself in front of her TV.

This was for the best - for her, for him.

For _them._

* * *

_"And this" – Seiya swallowed – "is my bedroom."_

_Usagi stepped inside the aforementioned room and looked around. It _wasn't_ a mess. She stated so out loud, causing Seiya to flush._

_"Yeah, well, I try, I guess..." The officer opened his mouth again, but was cut off by Usagi coughing. He blinked. "You all right?"_

_The blonde smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm a little dry." _

_Seiya rose to the opportunity to be savior. "Want me to get you a drink?" he offered gallantly._

_"Would you?" She pulled on a pigtail shyly. "Just a glass of water is fine. Thanks."_

_Seiya's dark ponytail swished around him as he retreated from the room and issued for her to "stay put and make herself comfortable."_

_The blonde's meek smile turned impish. She swung her head around the room quickly, knowing she didn't have much time. Her eyes landed on the television and the game system hooked up next to it. She rushed over to the console and eyed it. _

_There, a mere six inches from her, was the game that had started all this madness. She set her jaw, insides quivering._

_This was it._

_With trembling hands, Usagi reached out for the very disc that started all this madness. And would end it._

_The blonde quickly snatched up the game, shoving it into the inside pocket of her coat, just in time. Seiya strutted in proudly, a glass of water in hand. _

_Usagi smiled widely. "Thank you so much."_

_Seiya arched his eyebrow. "It's just a glass of water."_

_The girl giggled and took the drink. "Right."_

* * *

Usagi took a deep breath and held it. The opening title for Heaven's Flames scrolled colorfully across her screen.

She chose to start up Seiya's old game, figuring that would be the fastest. His character loaded and suddenly appeared at the save point. She bit back laughter – he chose the slutty female as his character.

She took a few steps forward, and soon enough the screen went all swishy as she was confronted with a random encounter. Usagi wasted all of her turns, making sure that the enemies would do enough damage.

She swallowed hard as the last bar of her health disappeared. The character fell to the ground. The 'game over' music started play.

And then the television began to shake.

* * *

**Author's Notes**: It'll 11:24 PM… At least I got this out before the day was over, right? Sorry that it was a sucky chapter, especially after you've waited for so long. This is just a set up for the next, and last, two.

**DON'T LEAVE YET.**

I would like you all to know that for the past four days, I have been working ten hours a day on a certain project. This project was in celebration for today's anniversary and as a huge thank you to all of you. Heaven's Flames would have probably stopped a long time ago if I didn't get all these wonderful reviews. I am proud to say that I have not gotten a single bad review/flame yet (that I can remember, at least – are there any? I don't know, XD ). And that's thanks to you all. I am eternally grateful.

As a token of my gratitude, I give you a thirteen page mini-manga of Heaven's Flames. It is an excerpt from chapter 23 where Usagi and Mamoru say their goodbyes. I have worked my every-loving booty call off on this, so please, treat it kindly.

Also, stay as wonderful as you have been and drop a comment on the site. It would make me all shades of ecstatic.

Without further ado:

**HEAVEN'S FLAMES, the mini-manga: **

**http?www?livejournal?com/users/hfcreatorix/27915.html **

(replace the question marks with periods – or in the http? place, put a semi-colon and two dashes - and put an underscore between the **hf** and the** creatorix** - curse you, you, again, for being so wonderful thus far. I hope you all continue to read through until the end.

**For those of you who have been with me from the beginning**: I am so beyond grateful. You've dealt with me for three years now, and haven't given up.

**For Whitney**: You're one of my best friends. This story would be nothing without you. Thank you for always listening to me rant on and on about the newest plot twist, or side story, or whatever (in this and in all of my stories) without ever complaining.

**For people who are reading this months from now:** Thank you for finding this story and keeping it alive. Pass it on, ok? I'm shameless

**For those of you who have just started/started somewhere after three years ago: **You guys rock. All of you along the way have kept me going. Thank you, and feel free to continue to feed my self-conscious little ego.

**For those of you who took the time to e-mail me**: You're my favorites of all. You have no idea how happy getting those e-mails make me.

**For everyone:** Thank you for dealing with my broken deadlines and almost non-existent updates. Also, thank you for dealing with my horrible writing (especially in the first few chapters). You guys mean everything to me.

I know I should be saving all of that for the last chapter, but I think for today it seems more appropriate.

Uh-oh, the author's notes have become almost as long as the chapter, XD Not a good thing.

I'll stop now. Thank you all.

**Enjoy the comic.**


End file.
